Over 60 Years Sourcing America’s Rarest Wood
Unmatched Beauty, Grown by Nature & Prepared for Master Artisans
Darrell has spent over 60 years hand-harvesting rare Chittum burls from the mountains of north Alabama and south central Tennessee, building North America's most extensive collection. Grown in the wild as the American Smoketree, these underground burls are painstakingly excavated to bring master artisans a truly exceptional turning wood.
Uncompromising Quality
Chittum sands like a dream, doesn't chip, and takes a CA finish flawlessly. Turned to a high gloss, it reveals remarkable eyes, deep contrast lines, feathers, and intense chatoyance—delivering unmatched stability and figure for your finest custom projects.
Figure You Won't See Twice
What you choose is what you get. Every piece in our collection is entirely 1-of-1. What you see in the photo is the exact blank shipped to your shop—guaranteeing a unique grain pattern that will never be replicated.
Wild Mountain Sourced
Years Harvest Legacy
North Alabama & Tennessee Burls
Craftsmanship Starts Long Before the Knife Edge.
Cut by Hand, Graded by Eye
Every blank is sawn, stabilized (if chosen), and personally inspected. If it doesn’t meet Darrell’s standards for custom handle material, it never goes into the box.
Authentically Sourced
We harvest exclusively from private land, working directly with families for two generations. Our burl is sourced responsibly, preserving the environment for future crafters.
Figure You Won't See Twice
Chittum Burl runs unique dense eye clusters with rich amber-to-amber color shifts. Each piece is unique; what you see in our gallery is what ships.