Persimmon Wood

[David Wyke]

Friend called and said they had a Plum tree down if I wanted it. I’ve only had one person who offered me wood that actually knew the species .
This turned out to be Persimmon that averages 12” in diameter. Planning on turning a few natural edge bowls and using the rest for hollow forms depending on how it looks. Grain seems fairly plain.

I usually pull logs on my dump trailer but could not get access with the trailer so had to cut oversized and load.

I imagine Persimmon is like most fruit wood and cracks easily. Best to turn thin? Any success roughing out and sealing? Any suggestions?

 

[DON FRANK]

If you once turn this plan on it moving a lot. Even though it seems plain it can have some interesting grain. I tried to turn once turned hollow forms and they moved more than any wood I have tried. Would be great for natural edge bowls because of the thick bark. Lean towards thinner sidewalls as it will crack. I have not tried bleaching the wood after it's dried but I think it would look nice to whiten it up.
If you turn things with the intent of twice turned items seal the end grain on both sides with pva glue. It's super hard stuff but turns really nice green. I ponded a lot of mine that I wanted to keep in plastic 55gal barrels of water instead of sealing it. Works great but a little stinky when you do pull it out to use.

 

[John K Jordan]

Friend called and said they had a Plum tree down if I wanted it. I’ve only had one person who offered me wood that actually knew the species .
This turned out to be Persimmon that averages 12” in diameter. Planning on turning a few natural edge bowls and using the rest for hollow forms depending on how it looks. Grain seems fairly plain.
...
I imagine Persimmon is like most fruit wood and cracks easily. Best to turn thin? Any success roughing out and sealing? Any suggestions?

Persimmon is an Ebony (American Ebony, White Ebony) and along with Dogwood is one of my favorite woods to turn when dry. The grain is very fine, figure is sometimes present but not prominent in the trees around here, usually very small black heartwood, quite heavy and strong. I cut it into blanks, seal the end grain, and let it air dry. I don't turn it green so can't comment on cracking from that.

Very unlike pear, plum, cherry fruit-bearing trees. I can't remember any solid blanks cracking but they do take a long time to dry. Can warp a LOT. Sands like other types of ebony.

Like many species, the white will darken and turn to yellow/brown. There have been several threads about Persimmon. I put a few photos in message #8 in this thread:

Post in thread 'Species?'

Mar 4, 2026

images of Persimmon tree bark look close

The bark of the persimmon tree varies considerably, especially with age. I've got many (probably 100s) on my property and most between say 8" and 12" diameter look much like this:



This one came down in a storm:


I save all the persimmon wood I get, cut into blanks, and dry. Love to turn it!

If the wood itself is in good shape, the sapwood will be large and white (darkens/yellows with age), the heartwood black and usually quite small, sometimes just the diameter of a pencil in smaller tree. It's fairly rare to...

• John K Jordan

• 

JKJ

 

[David Wyke]

If you once turn this plan on it moving a lot. Even though it seems plain it can have some interesting grain. I tried to turn once turned hollow forms and they moved more than any wood I have tried. Would be great for natural edge bowls because of the thick bark. Lean towards thinner sidewalls as it will crack. I have not tried bleaching the wood after it's dried but I think it would look nice to whiten it up.
If you turn things with the intent of twice turned items seal the end grain on both sides with pva glue. It's super hard stuff but turns really nice green. I ponded a lot of mine that I wanted to keep in plastic 55gal barrels of water instead of sealing it. Works great but a little stinky when you do pull it out to use.

I may just turn most of it natural edge. I usually leave the wall 1/4” so I’ll try a couple and see how they do. On my twice turned bowls I always seal the entire bowl.

 

[David Wyke]

Persimmon is an Ebony (American Ebony, White Ebony) and along with Dogwood is one of my favorite woods to turn when dry. The grain is very fine, figure is sometimes present but not prominent in the trees around here, usually very small black heartwood, quite heavy and strong. I cut it into blanks, seal the end grain, and let it air dry. I don't turn it green so can't comment on cracking from that.

Very unlike pear, plum, cherry fruit-bearing trees. I can't remember any solid blanks cracking but they do take a long time to dry. Can warp a LOT. Sands like other types of ebony.

Like many species, the white will darken and turn to yellow/brown. There have been several threads about Persimmon. I put a few photos in message #8 in this thread:

Post in thread 'Species?'

Mar 4, 2026

images of Persimmon tree bark look close

The bark of the persimmon tree varies considerably, especially with age. I've got many (probably 100s) on my property and most between say 8" and 12" diameter look much like this:



This one came down in a storm:


I save all the persimmon wood I get, cut into blanks, and dry. Love to turn it!

If the wood itself is in good shape, the sapwood will be large and white (darkens/yellows with age), the heartwood black and usually quite small, sometimes just the diameter of a pencil in smaller tree. It's fairly rare to...

• John K Jordan

• 

JKJ

Interesting about the color, I saw no black anywhere on this log. When I got out of the truck he said it’s seems like a hard wood and all white inside. I knew then it probably wasn’t Plum and when I saw the bark I know it was Persimmon.
I may cut a few slabs if I can’t get it all turned in a few days.

 

[Webb Willmott]

What luck! Maybe you should buy a lotto ticket just in case there’s still some luck left.

 

[John Torchick]

Looking forward to the turnings. Persimmon was used for drivers in the golf game. Jack Nicklaus had one for years that finally fell apart.