• The Eddy Plains Cottonwood shot glass with a large round knot and flowing brown-and-gold grain
  • The Eddy shot glass showing broad light-and-dark grain sweeping down the tall exterior
  • The Eddy Plains Cottonwood shot glass with a round knot near the upper front and vertical grain
  • The Eddy shot glass showing long straight brown-and-gold grain across the exterior
  • Top view of The Eddy showing its rounded rim and dark circular interior
  • Bottom view of The Eddy showing circular end grain and natural color variation
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The Eddy — Plains Cottonwood Shot Glass

The Eddy — Plains Cottonwood Shot Glass

Plains Cottonwood · Hand-Turned · Stabilized Shot Glass

$75.00 USD
$75.00 USD
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The Eddy — Plains Cottonwood Shot Glass

Dimensions: Approx. 5-1/16" tall × 2-1/16" diameter

Plains Cottonwood is not usually treated as precious wood. It grows fast, its grain can be soft and porous, and in many places it is dismissed as little more than a trash tree.

That is part of why I like it.

I gathered this wood myself along Cherry Creek in Colorado, where massive cottonwoods line the trails and creek banks. In winter, stripped of their leaves, the trees become something entirely different—rugged, twisted silhouettes against the Western sky. Their knots, scars, and irregular growth aren't hidden. They become part of the character of the landscape.

The same thing happened in this piece.

Its knots and grain interrupt the otherwise simple form, curling and changing direction like water folding back along the edge of a creek. That movement led to the name The Eddy—a small current formed when flowing water meets something that refuses to simply move with it.

Cottonwood's open, porous grain makes stabilization particularly useful for a vessel like this. The wood was stabilized without dye before turning, reinforcing the material while preserving the natural color, knots, and grain that made me want to work with it in the first place.

Inside, I turned a modified Glencairn-inspired profile. Because Plains Cottonwood is a comparatively soft and porous wood, I intentionally stopped the bore at approximately 3½ inches deep rather than pushing farther toward the base. The extra material beneath the vessel provides a little more margin while still preserving the tall proportions of the piece.

For me, this wood carries more than the place where I found it. Walking Cherry Creek connects me to Colorado, to the Western landscape, and to generations of family history throughout Colorado and the American West. It is a landscape I associate with simplicity, resilience, self-reliance, and a kind of beauty that doesn't depend on being polished or perfect.

  • Wood: Stabilized Plains Cottonwood
  • Origin: Personally harvested along Cherry Creek, Colorado
  • Dimensions: Approx. 5-1/16" tall × 2-1/16" diameter
  • Interior: Modified Glencairn-inspired profile, approx. 3½" deep
  • Craft: Hand-turned
  • Finish: Walnut oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax
  • Color: Natural — no dye
  • Availability: One of one
  • Care: Hand wash only. Do not soak or place in a dishwasher.
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