Large Dansk Rare Woods Tray

Recently I found what is probably the epitome of thrift scores, at least for me. With my love of modernism, wooden items, Dansk, etc., I had never hoped to find a Dansk Rare Woods item. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it seems that for a few years Dansk created items made of a list of rare woods instead of teak - I believe that this was some time in the 60's. All of these items are marked with the name of the wood and a branch from the species, in this case cocobolo (in the rosewood family) - they are also all very distinctive in appearance. I found this tray at Goodwill:

Front View from one end

I couldn't believe what I was seeing and immediately took a photo with my phone to send to my friend and fellow modern connoisseur, John Stevens. First, this thing is massive measuring in at about 15" by 30" with a slight lip and runners (total height is less than an inch). Second, considering the thinness of wood, it's very heavy.

It's got a few water rings and scratches but I believe it will clean up nicely.



Bottom View from one end

What amazes me about this is the over-all construction. First laminating individual pieces of cocobolo into a structure that would support weight using nothing but epoxy, then routing out the inside to get it this thin. All of that would be hard to do with most woods. You can see the imprint in the photo below.

It's hard to believe that this tray is still in the amazing condition that it's in - unlike many other trays I come across (and pass on) this one hasn't been put into a dishwasher (might me due to it's size).

There are a couple of edge dings, this one looks to have been struck with something as there's a shallow chip:

The second ding looks to be one from the factory (a small void where the wood had fallen out):

I think the tray will clean up fine - the scratches are all in the surface and very mild - probably from being stored with something laying on top of the tray. Some cleaning, very light sanding and a coat of Danish oil should be all it needs.

-- John

Dansk End-Cutting Board Tray Refurb

I managed to do some light sanding on the Dansk Teak End-Grain Cutting Board/Tray that I posted previously.

This tray was mostly just a bit dirty but it did have a few imperfections - luckily they all sanded out. I always start these retorations by wiping everything down with mineral spirits. It tends to get off any goo and the sanding tends to work out any residue. After a bit of sanding at 220 I wiped well and followed with two coats of Watco Danish Oil. I love the honey-colored hues of Teak. This one will be a keeper.

-- John

Heller Model 255 Deep Loaf/Pate Pan by Vignelli

As you've probably figured out by my previous post on Heller glass bakeware, I have an affinity for these Vignelli designed items and am on a constant lookout for them. Other than the two quart casserole with au gratin cover, I've only found a few incomplete bottom halves - my luck finally changed with this Model 255 Deep Loaf/Pate Pan, which I found at a local Goodwill.

This small, rectangular pan measures about 7" wide and 9" long. There were several square and rectangular dishes made for Heller - these actually pre-date the round casseroles by two years having been released in 1975 (the round in 1977 to be clear). I was quite excited to find this one intact, without any blemishes or chips.

From the catalog page, these are supposedly microwave-friendly, however if you want to keep any you find I wouldn't recommend cooking anything in them. I've had some discussions with my friend John Stephens, who turned me on to these, who seems to think they have become fragile with age. Since I've picked up 3 bottoms missing lids, I'm guessing that they are a bit brittle. In any case, I've grown to like them quite a bit so this one is a keeper.

-- John

Dansk Teak Serving Tray with End-grain Cutting Board

I posted this find a few days ago on Facebook - $1.71 at Goodwill (where do they get these prices?).

Technically this is more of a platter with a cutting surface, for cheese, fruit, etc. It's about 12 inches in diameter and in very good condition (no major gouges, with a surface that's just a bit dirty).

Dansk would cut small pieces of end-grain teak to get the butcher-block effect - these were inset into a routed space then sanded flush - an interesting technique that would hold up well provided the platter wasn't left submerged in water (I've seen more than one butcher-block platter made in this manner with pieces missing from the glue-up).

As a bonus, this example was made in Denmark (rather than Malaysia or elsewhere) so the teak is probably from Northern Europe. Full Dansk and IHQ brand on the bottom.

Apparently whomever priced this at Goodwill thought the top was the bottom (usually the price is marked on the bottom of these types of items). I was surprised to find this as it was mid-day and most of the dealers had already grabbed-up anything of perceived value. I'll post a pick later after I've cleaned it up - this one is a keeper.

-- John

Large Ambrosia Maple Salad Bowl

Pickings have been slim, but recently I have managed to pick up this beautiful ambrosia maple bowl for less than $3 at Goodwill. It's 4 inches tall and 11.5 inches in diameter and very well done.

I'm rather partial to wood objects (I guess you can tell by these posts) and while this isn't strictly modernists, it does have a simple profile that I like quite a bit.

The wonderful figure, ambrosia beetle staining and overall size makes it a keeper. It also has an unusual finish - the outside is smooth with a varnish or lacquer while the inside is simply oiled. Looks like it was intended to be used as a salad bowl but doesn't have any of the normal cuts or dings.

This one is marked "Mar 95 Maple" on the bottom.

And it also has a label for "Woods by Weiss" and a Gatlinburg address. I found one listing under "Craft Galleries" for RodsGuide in the Great Smoky Mountains so my guess is the person is still turning (or at least the gallery is still in business where it was sold).

To get an idea of the size, this is what it looks like holding my new iPhone 5.

Have a great Halloween everyone!

-- John

Restored Dansk Surfboard Tray

I thought you might like to see the Dansk Surfboard Tray after I worked on it. Original post: http://thrifting.blogspot.com/2012/03/dansk-teak-802-surfboard-tray.html

This is how it originally looked:

A few notes:
I originally thought that the staining was just wax - I now revise that as with most waxes, mineral spirits quickly dissolve paraffin and remove the staining and in this case it didn't work. It could be that these were candles that contained other additives and it's those compounds that resisted cleaning. Or it could be that the stains were actual bottles of some other products.

1. After trying a couple of solvents I first neutralized and then lightly sanded. The sanding took care of all the staining.
2. I finished up with a quick rub-down of Watco Danish Oil - Natural.

-- John

Found Object - Wooden Egg Holder

I'm not quite sure what this guy was made to hold - the egg-shape makes me think something round or perhaps boiled eggs? Golf balls? Who knows - if it looks familiar please comment.

This is one of those things I occasionally pick up just because it looks good, is well designed or made from interesting materials. In this case all three apply and it was hard to pass for less than a dollar.

The wood has some very nice contrasting grain - at first I thought walnut, then maybe cocobolo but it doesn't have enough red in it. That made me think of claro walnut, but the density and weight doesn't seem to be right - instead it's probably some type of imported hardwood from South America or Africa. If anyone can identify the species let me know.

What I found interesting in this is how well the object is executed - many different round-over bits and back bevels were applied.

The wood in this is just gorgeous and the acute and obtuse angles just magnify the grain patterning.

Someone suggested that this might be some type of communion platter - I don't know anything about that - I was thinking I might try to find some glass inserts for the holes and use it for soft lighting with tea candles. If nothing else it would make an interesting if rather tippy trivet.

The piece is signed on the bottom but the initials or name doesn't make much sense to me - "DHcks" - perhaps it's "D Hicks"...

-- John

Danish Teak Trivets 2012.07.22

Sometimes when it rains it pours - in my case, having never found a teak trivet worth picking up I suddenly find myself with several. As with my previous post, and now with these well-made, finger-jointed trivets with feet.

This are marked "Denmark" underneath.

Here's a detail shot of the jointery - there isn't much made with this level and attention to detail much these days.

I also like how the sides are routed to provide finger-lifts to make it easier to carry whatever is riding the trivet, much like a serving platter.

OK - that's about it for this post. Good luck in the hunt!

-- John

A Couple of Teak Danish Items

Not much to be found lately at the thrift stores - at least not much worth buying. Seems most of the modernist items that I like have been snagged up by others. On Friday I found this nice teak tray - it's nothing special but well made, measing 22.5 inches long by 11.5 inches wide. It's also fairly unblemished (a couple of small edge scratches):

I like the bevelling of the edges:

It has a light "Denmark" stamp in the center of the bottom oh and the price was right a $1.91:

This second item I found a few weeks ago - it just sort of caught my eye as most teak items do. I believe it to be a trivet - this one made by Dansk with the usual markings and also the right price at 99 cents:

It's about 6.5 inches in diameter...

As always, thanks for reading and good luck in the hunt!

-- John

Dansk Teak 802 "Surfboard" Tray

My latest find almost wasn't - last weekend I stopped in a Goodwill and basically walked through the whole store without finding anything. Fortunately I walked back through right when a staff member was putting out a few pieces in the "wooden things" aisle - that's when I spotted this tray.

I call these "teak surfboard trays" for lack of a better name - the tapered ends curve up into the handles. This is the first I've owned, however I've always greatly admired the style and design. My friend John Stephens tells me that this is the second-from largest size, measuring in at about 28 inches or so in length (eyeball measure).

This example has great, intact laminations (boards are cut and laminated side-by-side to make up the width). Notice the darker smudges - that's candle wax. I've wiped down the tray with a bit of mineral spirits and have removed all but a hint of the circles. I then applied some Danish Oil. I haven't decided whether to wipe it down again or apply another layer and call it done (no pics of the finished item yet - this is definitely a keeper).

One thing I like in particular is the construction - this image is blurry but you can see the sliding dovetail for the "feet" trimmed with a few passes of a chisel at the end.

I believe this is an earlier example, bearing all the marks: serial number, "ducks" logo, "Dansk Designs Denmark Inc" and copyright symbol.

Good luck in the hunt! John