Steamed Pear, also known as European Pearwood, is a refined hardwood prized for its uniform texture, warm coloring, and excellent workability. This wood is “steamed” during the drying process, which enhances its natural reddish or pinkish-brown hue and stabilizes the material for consistent performance in fine woodworking.
The heartwood ranges from soft pink to medium reddish-brown with a smooth, even grain and very few visible pores. The steaming process deepens the color and gives the wood a warm, muted tone that ages beautifully over time. Its clean appearance and subtle figure make it a favorite for minimalist or contemporary designs.
Its fine, consistent grain allows for clean cuts and crisp detailing with minimal tear-out. It turns smoothly, sands easily, and takes finishes exceptionally well—often resulting in a silky, matte or polished surface without the need for heavy sealing.
Top Features of Steamed Pear:
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Warm, subtle coloring deepened by the steaming process
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Fine, uniform grain with minimal visual distractions
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Turns easily with sharp tools and holds crisp detail
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Excellent sanding and finishing properties
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Ideal for pens, finials, boxes, bowls, and precision work
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Ages gracefully, developing a soft patina over time
Nial (verified owner) –
I really love this steamed pear wood for turning bowls and small plates. It is super easy to work with and very easy to shape and get into a nice curved bowl. I have found you can really push how thin you can get the walls of your bowl with this and have done a few that are seriously slim. The grain varies very much from piece to piece but it always gives a really nice unique look with lots of different light brown shades through it. You sometimes hit some really dark or light patches around some of the grain and if you chase these then you can get a really beautiful effect from it
I have found that a high gloss finish brings the best out of the wood and have started using a coat or two of cheap friction polish as a sealer and to start getting a shiny layer then using Hampshire Sheen high gloss over it to give a fantastic hard high gloss glassy finish. Some of my best bowls have been made from this with that finish and they look fantastic if I do say so myself.
It is not cheap but it is a fairly unique wood to work with and the finished pieces be it for sale or for gifting etc are well worth it.
Give it a try!
MargaretLearnard (verified owner) –
I know nothing about wood, but my nephew, a carver , was thrilled. The parcel could not have come more promptly
Richard Brookes (verified owner) –
I really beautiful blank.
I’ve heard so many good things about working with it…