Choose the wood

The wood decides how a burn looks more than the pen does. The best surfaces are pale, soft and even-grained: basswood first, then aspen, butternut, poplar and birch. On these a quick stroke leaves a clean tan line and a slow one leaves dark brown, so the whole range of tone is available. The wood species chart compares twelve woods side by side.

Grain is what causes trouble. Pine and cedar have soft and hard bands, so the tip sinks into one and skates over the next, and pine carries resin. Oak has open pores that break up a line. Dark woods such as walnut burn well but hide the result, because there is little contrast between burn and wood. Hard maple gives crisp lines but needs more heat and more patience.

Some materials are off the list. Never burn pressure-treated, painted, stained or varnished wood, MDF or particle board: the finish or glue ends up in the smoke. Plywood is workable if the burn stays in the face veneer. Other surfaces have their own rules, covered in the notes on bamboo, plywood and leather.

Ready to move on when: You have a pale, bare, untreated board and an offcut of the same wood to test on.