Isn't it strange how two such different bowls can emerge from the same lump of timber? I recently bought a batch of burr alder ( alnus betulaceae ), a genus belonging to the birch family. Birch can be very bland, but not this stuff, it's got a rich colour and beautiful grain, especially when burr is present.
This first piece had a lot of worm in it, and some of it was still live, so it got saturated in a worm-treatment solution, which darkened the wood, rather. After a few coats of linseed oil and a good buffing, it's taken on a really rich, deep chestnut colour.
On the other hand, this next piece, which came from the same batch, had less burr in it and not enough natural edge to be worth saving, so it's a more traditional piece and is finished with a microcrystaline wax.
Les