Snakewood is a tree in the family Fabaceae that is endemic to Western Australia. The indigenous group the Martuthunira, Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi peoples know it as marrawa, the Kariyarra know it as puluru and the Jiwarli know it as pukarti.
It grows very slowly in arid soil and tends to be gnarly so it's rare to find large or long straight pieces.
Such figuring can be so pronounced that it has been compared to the writing of hieroglyphics. Snakewood is the one of the most expensive timbers in the world.
In addition to its colorful figure, Snakewood is also among the densest and hardest of all wood species worldwide. Among woodworkers, it vies with Lignum Vitae as the heaviest wood in the world.
This pen was made from a piece purchased from a local timber supplier.
