Hello, Sid....
Love the Greek music playing in your "Making a Komboloi" video. Interesting fiddle music.
So.... I spent the better part of my Florida vacation making beads for my Komboloi, from solid wood. The wood I used is called "Ipe" (Brazilian Walnut)....which is a very hard, and a very dense, brown, Ebony-like wood ...that is used for flooring and decking. I found some odd-sized scraps and cut-offs in a pile of useless wood that was laying in the corner of my friend's work-shop. He was getting ready to throw it into the garbage, and told me to take whatever I wanted. So, I did, and I used it for making Komboloi beads. It was free...and that's always the best price! Making beads from scrap wood was no problem for me. My friend has every tool under the sun in his two work shops....one's for wood-working, the other one, for metal-working. When I told him what I was going to do with all the worthless wood...he scratched his head, and then walked away, saying I need a psychiatrist. Something that I've heard before.
So, starting with square chunks of Ipe, I sanded the wood into cylinder shapes, then chucked, and drilled the string-holes through all the cylinders in a metal lathe. Then, I belt-sanded the spinning beads to their final shape....burning my fingers quite a few times from the friction and heat. Nothing is born without some pain.
Anyway, after a lot of sanding and polishing, and sweating (Florida in the summer is very hot).... I finally made 23 large (17mm X 22mm) Komboloi beads. I made some extra beads for a Begleri. Next, I will string them....then, sit back, drink some strong coffee, spiked with some Greek Ouzo (Metaxa) and fidget with my homemade worry beads. I live in New York City. I need to become more serene, relaxed, cool, calm, and collected. A few good healthy shots of Ouzo, and "working" my worry beads will certainly help.
)
Frank
NYC