Walnut and Beech Craftsmanship
The bee is made from North American black walnut and German beech with a natural wood finish, and the craftsmanship is its strongest point. Walnut's grain is generally straight but sometimes wavy or curled, so no two bees look quite alike, and the pairing of dark walnut with pale beech gives the stripes their contrast. It comes across as solid and well constructed, with a nice weight in the hand, and one who hesitated over spending this much on a toothpick holder concluded it was worth it. Solid wood like this needs a little care: keep it away from standing water and wipe it dry, and a light rub of food-safe wood oil now and then will keep the walnut rich.