Buzz
Wood serves as the building block for many everyday items, from the chairs we sit on to the tables we dine at, and the shelves that store our belongings. However, there are also many things that typically don't contain wood—at least, not in the traditional sense.
Surprisingly, some individuals have crafted wooden versions of items that are generally made without a single wooden piece. These unique creations have led to fascinating, if somewhat unusual, results. Here are ten of the most unexpected things made out of wood.
10. A Wooden Scooter
The Vespa scooter has become a familiar sight on the roads since its creation by Italy's Piaggio Group in the aftermath of World War II. While it has always been a staple in Italy, its popularity surged in the UK when it became associated with the 'Mod' subculture during the 1960s. Despite undergoing various design changes over the past 70 years, no one thought to create a wooden version until Carlos Alberto came into the picture.
In October 2007, Carlos Alberto, a skilled carpenter from Portugal, took on the incredible challenge of designing and constructing a fully functional Vespa out of wood, naming it 'Daniela.' The project took ten months to complete, involved ten different types of wood, and cost €2,800. The final result is not only visually impressive but a true testament to craftsmanship.
9. Wooden Dentures
Today, dentures are typically crafted from acrylic due to its ease of manipulation and ability to be colored to match the gums. However, this wasn’t always the case, as wooden dentures were once a common alternative. Wooden dentures are believed to have originated in Japan, where ancient priestess Nakaoka Tei is known to have worn them. This practice remained widespread in Japan up until the 19th century. In 2008, archaeologists discovered a finely carved set of wooden dentures from the 18th century during excavations in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
These meticulously crafted dentures were considered a luxury, affordable only to wealthy merchants and high-ranking samurai, not to impoverished Japanese peasants. On a different note, the popular belief that former US president George Washington had wooden teeth is a complete myth. His dentures were actually made from a variety of materials, including hippopotamus ivory and bone.
8. A Wooden Book
A wooden book gives a whole new dimension to the term 'log book,' and one man has crafted just such an item. Brady Whitney, an industrial engineer, created a wooden book called Codex Silenda, which he sought funding for on Kickstarter. The book features five pages, but each page is a mechanical puzzle made from over 100 pieces of wood, primarily birch and maple, cut using a laser. Readers must physically engage with the puzzle on each page to move forward, as they can't proceed until solving the current puzzle.
The Codex Silenda is more than just a puzzle book; it also tells the story of a hero who works as an apprentice for Leonardo da Vinci. The apprentice stumbles upon the Codex, which da Vinci created to thwart spies attempting to steal his inventions. The hero’s challenge is to solve all the puzzles before his master returns from a journey abroad.
7. Wooden Watches
Watches are a common accessory, often made from materials like metal, plastic, glass, and leather. However, it is possible to find watches crafted entirely from wood. Manufacturers of wooden watches do more than create unique gifts; many collaborate with environmental organizations, pledging to plant trees for each watch sold. Others use only recycled wood, ensuring that the natural patterns and characteristics of each piece are preserved in the watch design.
Most wooden watch manufacturers aim to offer an eco-friendly alternative to traditional watchmakers. However, it's essential to be cautious when purchasing for environmental reasons. Buyers should look for watches made from fast-growing woods like bamboo, rather than slow-growing or endangered woods such as rosewood or mahogany, which can contribute to deforestation.
6. A Wooden Airplane
When we think of airplanes, we typically envision machines constructed from metal. However, one of the most unexpected innovations of World War II was the creation of a wooden airplane. During the war's peak, aluminum, usually used in building fighter planes, was a scarce resource and classified as a strategic material. In contrast, the lightweight balsa, spruce, and plywood used to build the DH.98 Mosquito were abundant. This groundbreaking idea came from de Havilland, who had already experimented with balsa and plywood in its DH.91 Albatross transport plane. The DH.98 Mosquito's speed, made possible by its wooden frame and lack of machine guns, led Geoffrey de Havilland to design a bomber that was faster than any other in the air.
The Mosquito's lack of machine guns was another aspect that set it apart from traditional bombers, which required much persuasion to convince military officials that it was a sound idea. Production of the Mosquito did not begin until late 1940, but once in service, it quickly became the go-to aircraft for a wide variety of operations, such as bombing raids, transporting troops, long-range reconnaissance, and pathfinding. It earned the moniker 'The Wooden Wonder' and left German aviation minister Herman Goering seething with envy.
5. A Wooden Computer
A wooden computer may sound like something from a slapstick movie, but it exists in real life. Adding to its uniqueness, the computer’s keyboard is incorporated into a desk. This creation was crafted by a Dutch artist named Marlies Romberg, who described the concept as a fusion of the digital and physical worlds. His design features a wooden monitor and mouse, while the keyboard is carved directly into the desk surface using a laser cutter. To complete the project, Romberg even made a USB stick, though it’s made from silicon instead of wood.
Although the idea of a wooden computer may seem unconventional, Romberg wasn’t the first to bring it to life. In 2007, a craftsman in Moscow created a fully wooden PC monitor, keyboard, and mouse as part of a custom commission—two years before Romberg unveiled his own version. However, Romberg’s desk-based keyboard and the artistic concept he attached to his work give it a distinct originality.
4. Wooden Clothing
In old gangster films, criminals would often threaten to put someone in a 'wooden overcoat'—a euphemism for a coffin. However, one individual took this phrase quite literally and thought it would be a brilliant idea. Fraser Smith, a woodcarver from Mississippi, is known for creating clothing out of solid blocks of wood, some weighing as much as 91 kilograms (200 lbs). Despite the challenge of crafting such realistic items, he has carved jackets, T-shirts, pants, robes, and baseball caps.
Smith's journey into creating wooden garments began in 1987, and his detailed carvings can now be found in both private collections and public galleries. His motivation for carving these life-like pieces was to explore the emotional connections people have with old clothing—items that hold memories and become treasured, making even mass-produced clothes seem uniquely special to their owners.
3. Wooden Torpedoes
A torpedo is typically a missile designed for underwater propulsion with an explosive warhead intended to detonate on impact, and not something you'd expect to see crafted from wood. However, during World War II, a pier at Stokes Bay in southwestern England was repurposed by the RAF for testing weapons, including practice torpedoes. These test torpedoes, dropped from planes, were used to gauge the effectiveness of the missile, but for safety reasons, they were devoid of any explosive warheads.
What set these 'dummy' torpedoes apart from the real combat ones is that some were crafted from wood. This fact was confirmed when one of the test missiles, launched from the Stokes Bay pier by the RAF Torpedo Development Unit, was recovered from the sea. The wooden torpedo is now displayed at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in the UK.
2. The Wooden Light Bulb
Another peculiar wooden creation comes from innovative designer Barend Massow Hemmes. While the light bulb inside remains traditional, the outer casing of this bulb is made from wood. When it burns out, the bulb can easily be replaced, just like any regular one. Hemmes achieved the unique outer design using laser cutting, which gives the wood a slightly charred appearance, mimicking the waffle-like texture he intended when the bulb is lit.
The final product is a quirky and unusual lamp that can either sit on a table or hang from the ceiling, just like a conventional light fixture. It's even suitable for outdoor use, as long as there's somewhere to plug it in.
1. The Rise of Wooden Skyscrapers
Sumitomo Forestry, a Japanese company, has an ambitious plan to construct the world's tallest wooden skyscraper in Tokyo by 2041. This 70-story building will be made from a mix of 90% wood and 10% steel, designed to withstand the frequent earthquakes that Japan experiences. The skyscraper will provide homes for 8,000 people. While the idea of a wooden skyscraper may seem unconventional, there are already similar structures in place, like the T3 building in Minneapolis, which currently holds the title of the largest mass timber building in the US.
Architects are increasingly drawn to the idea of using wood in building design because it is quicker to work with compared to steel and concrete, both of which contribute to carbon emissions. Wood, however, absorbs carbon dioxide, making it a more environmentally friendly choice. To address safety concerns, these skyscrapers use specially engineered wood materials such as cross-laminated timber or laminated veneer lumber, which are constructed from thin layers of wood that offer significantly more strength than standard timber.
