Welcome to IWCS - Advancing Information on Wood Since 1947
Founded in 1947, the International Wood Collectors Society is a non-profit Society devoted to distributing information on collecting wood, correctly identifying and naming wood specimens, and using wood in creative crafts.
People from all countries around the world are invited to join IWCS, enjoy the benefits of membership and discover more about nature's wonder material -- wood!
Collecting wood and/or using wood creatively has to be one of the most unique hobby interests that you could ever pick. IWCS members around the world have formed a network for information exchange and mutual assistance.
Membership in IWCS gives you numerous benefits including - World of Wood, a 32 page
bimonthly magazine; and Annual Directory of members, and access to wood, wood information and members in some 30 countries on six continents. View a sample issue of the May/June 2013 WOW or see the searchable index of articles published in the last nine years.
What's New at IWCS?
June 1, 2013 - New Pricing Schedule for IWCS Membership - See Join or Renew IWCS Membership to see the pricing changes that are now in effect.
May-June 2013 IWCS World of Wood magazine is now available for all to read and in the Members Only section. This magazine contains "The Southeast Regional Meeting; "The Wood Collections at Kew: From Toys to Totem Poles (Part I)", and many more interesting articles. 05/29/2013
The IWCS Board has approved the appointment of Mihaly Czako PhD, #5220-L, as Editor, World of Wood effective March 1, 2013. Mihaly is well known in IWCS as a member for some 22 years and having attended many meetings and contributed numerous demonstrations and presentations. Since 1994 he has been a Research Specialist at the University of South Carolina, Department of Biological Sciences, in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. He is considered to be a leading expert on the genus Dalbergia in the world.
Mihaly has a large library and very extensive collection of literature on wood and trees and is an avid collector of wood specimens with some 6,000 species in his collection.
He is involved in field collection and in advancing the discovery and knowledge of trees and wood, and has provided wood identification services to several members and nonmembers.
Mihaly appreciates wood in all its forms, from the living tree, the engineering material, the collector’s specimen and the useful and artistic objects made from wood.
He has authored numerous peerreviewed scientific papers as well as a few book chapters and contributed to the IWCS book “A Guide to Useful Woods of the World”. He is also experienced with text and graphics layout and presentations involving quality printing.
Mihaly speaks English, Spanish and Hungarian fluently and can translate Portuguese, Russian, and German. He is a member the International Association of Wood Anatomists, the American Chemical Society, the Association of Applied Biologists, and the International Society of Tropical Foresters. IWCS is fortunate to have an Editor of Mihaly’s stature. IWCS looks forward to him carrying on with the excellent work that has been done by retiring editor Morris Lake in the past five years and advancing the mission of IWCS through his efforts. 01/17/2013
IWCS is looking for an energetic volunteer to run the All-Mail Auction. Although called the "All-Mail" auction, the auction may be run via other formats (on-line, e-mail). Please touch base with your local trustee, Garry Roux, Bob Chastain, Melvin Talley, or Art Lee if you want to know more about the position. 01/19/2013
2013 IWCS Membership Directory is now available in the Members Only section. This Directory also contains Brief History of IWCS Meetings 1947–2013. 01/17/2013
Corporate Membership - a new package of benefits for Corporate and Donor members in IWCS has been introduced which will make this type of membership much more attractive to such members. These benefits are described in Article I.7 of the IWCS Bylaws. Corporate Membership fees are:
On-line Journal: USD $125 per yr., $325 per 3 yrs., and $450 per 5 yrs.
Hardcopy Journal: USD $150 per yr., $375 per 3 yrs., and $525 per 5 yrs.
Wood Photography par excellance – in a series of three videos, IWCS member Jean Claude Cerre of France, presents the system for macrophotography of wood that he has developed. The first video covers the overall method as described by Jean Claude in French with English translation interspersed; the second describes the wood preparation process - featuring an eight step end grain sanding ending up with a 4000 grit mirror-like finish; and lastly, the computer based, high quality digital photography techniques and devices he uses to obtain high quality digital images featuring a ten times magnification image and one at 90 times magnification.
As Jean Claude has shown during the development of this process, acceptable quality images can be achieved using less expensive camera and photographic manipulation systems, and suitable images can be produced for individual and educational purposes. The Jean Claude Cerre System system is therefore readily achievable by amateurs. Jean Claude’s natural colour images, however, using the best equipment are stunning and beautiful and will benefit future wood research. 07/25/2012
May 6, - May 11, 2013 South Africa Meet Program for 2013 IWCS Meeting South Africa. The conference consisted of two days of presentations, two days of field visits and an open day on the Saturday which included displays.
IWCS FUND RAISER: Turned Vase with inset antler on the rim. The Vase will be raffled off and the DRAWING will be held on Saturday, 15 Feb 2014 at the SE Regional meeting at Lake Yale, FL. You can be the next owner of this work of art for as little as $5.00!!!
Friends in Wood: On behalf of the president of IWCS, Melvin Talley, and the Canadian trustee, Robert Ritchie, it is my honour to announce: IWCS 2014 AGM - "Timbers and Treats" A celebration of trees and wood in history, health, art, craft and collections. Host trees: Pinus strobus and Acer saccharum
The President of IWCS (International Wood Collectors Society – www.woodcollectors.org), Melvin Talley, is pleased to announce that the 2014 annual general meeting of IWCS will be held in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada in September 2014 – final dates to be announced. In the last several years, annual meetings of this non-profit society, dedicated to advancing information on wood and it’s creative uses, have been held in Australia, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United States. The five day meeting, hosted by Robert Ritchie, Canadian trustee for IWCS, of nearby Burk’s Falls, will feature a program of educational presentations, demonstrations and field trips related to wood and tree identification and the creative uses of wood. The meeting is restricted to members and their guests only but a special day open to the public will allow access to the array of beautiful crafted wood items on display by members from around the world. Membership in IWCS is open to anyone interested in wood.
Hope to see you all there, Chuck Holder, Chair, IWCS Publications.
From the President - Melvin Talley #5601
We had a very good meeting at Lake Yale. Everyone was very pleased. There were 140 members there. I would like to see more members there in 2014. We had many demonstrations and classes for men and women, entertainment and refreshments each evening, and good meals three times a day.
Know your President-elect - I would like to say hello to all IWCS members. I am Elaine Hunt, your new President-elect appointed during the Southeast Regional Winter Woodfest Meeting at Lake Yale in Eustis, Florida, on February 15, 2013.
I live in Inverness, Florida and have spent my entire life in the sunshine state. After graduation from high school I attended the local vo-tech to continue my training in drafting and graphic arts. After a year and a half I joined the US Air Force where I was a medic for one tour of duty. Over my life I've held a variety of different jobs. I also co-owned a craft store with my mother and a neighborhood grocery and gas with both my parents. But the most important job I ever had was that of wife and mother.
In 2000 my husband Manley and I joined IWCS after attending the Southeast Regional Woodfest at Lake Yale, Fl., where he was hired to run his sawmill. That is where I made my first walking stick and fell in love with the people and the organization. Manley and I hosted the Lake Yale meeting in '06,'07,'08, and '2010. I was also program director for those meetings and also in '04. In 2011 I did the registration for the meeting. I attend as many Annual meetings as I can and plan to continue doing so.
My idea of being a member of IWCS is to be an active member. To be involved anywhere I'm needed and to join other members to make this the best organization it can be. I hope you, as members, will join me.
It is an honor for me to be your President-elect and I promise to do my very best for IWCS.
Wood Specimen Kit Availability: See the Wood Collecting page; or click here for a link to the IWCS Wood Specimen Kit order form with instructions for selecting and ordering wood specimens from IWCS. Gary is a professional Urban Forester/Sawyer and takes great pride in preparing high quality wood specimens, all properly seasoned, clean, well milled, free from dirt and defects and accurately identified and labeled. 06/04/2013
PUBLICATIONS
A Man of the Woods. Richard Crow takes you on a charming journey to discover how it is that one man's business and hobby could develop into the singular greatest individual wood collections in the world. This book is for everyone who enjoys the love of collecting or simply a wonderful story laced with historical anecdotes. Copyright 2009, 6 by 9 hardbound, 156 pages. (June 30, 2009)
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World edited by James H. Flynn, Jr. and Charles D. Holder. Published in 2001. Here's your chance to have a copy of the definitive statement on 279 woods of the world.
New Release! A Guide to More Useful Woods of the World includes: * 71 additional wood data sheets (WDS) bringing the total of published WDSs to 350. * 2 comprehensive indexes. * 14 articles from highly respected professionals in wood-related matters.
"A Guide for Developing a Wood Collection" - published in 2005; this Guide explains how to get started in wood collecting and how to develop and maintain your collection. Collection Guide order form.
If you can't read the PDF forms, Download Acrobat Reader
I live in Inverness, Florida and have spent my entire life in the sunshine state. After graduation from high school I attended the local vo-tech to continue my training in drafting and graphic arts. After a year and a half I joined the US Air Force where I was a medic for one tour of duty. Over my life I've held a variety of different jobs. I also co-owned a craft store with my mother and a neighborhood grocery and gas with both my parents. But the most important job I ever had was that of wife and mother.
. Richard Crow takes you on a charming journey to discover how it is that one man's business and hobby could develop into the singular greatest individual wood collections in the world. This book is for everyone who enjoys the love of collecting or simply a wonderful story laced with historical anecdotes. Copyright 2009, 6 by 9 hardbound, 156 pages. (June 30, 2009)
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World
"A Guide for Developing a Wood Collection" - published in 2005; this Guide explains how to get started in wood collecting and how to develop and maintain your collection. 
