The stem is bored and turned plain first, then darkened all over. It has to be finished as a dark piece before any inlay goes near it, because the blackening would stain the bone if it were laid the other way round.

The lattice is channelled in. Shallow crossing grooves are cut down the length of the stem, and strips of pale inlay are laid into them one at a time, bedded, and left to set before the next crossing run goes on. Where the two runs meet, each joint is trimmed by eye so the diamonds stay square as the stem narrows. Get one crossing out of step and every diamond below it is wrong.

Once the inlay is set, the whole stem is worked back level so the pattern sits flush with the wood rather than standing proud of it, then polished. Fine thread and brass banding close the ends. It is the slowest piece in the range by a distance, which is why it comes in the smallest batches.