All the hardwoods used in our products are sourced from waste wood which are often converted into fuel pellets and burnt. Sources of waste wood are from manufacturing off-cuts, old brown furniture, unwanted kitchen cabinets, wooden window frames, old flooring and many other products which have reached the end of their useful life. As such all our products are environmentally friendly.
All surfaces of our products used to display food are treated with a coating of butcher block oil and then waxed with beeswax.
These are just some of the hardwoods that we use.
Mahogany
The boards feature two types of mahogany. The most common you see in the boards is Sapele (African Mahogany) which tends to appear darker when oiled. The other is Brazilian Mahogany which can be slightly lighter in colour, and due to the cost often used in thinner strips.
Oak
Our boards contain American White Oak and English Oak. Note the white streaks or rays in some of the samples. These are "medullary rays" which are caused when errant cells grow perpendicular to the normal main vertical tree growth. They are created by excessive pressures caused by some aspect of the tree growth such as heavy branches. They are commonly observed in English Oak.
Black Walnut
Some of our boards contain American Black Walnut. It is highly pigmented dark wood and has a rich, attractive coloured grain often compared to mahogany. It is often used to contrast against lighter wood in a variety of projects as you will see in some of our cutting boards.
Acacia
There are more than one thousand varieties of acacia growing all over the world, with each tree variety adapting to its particular climate. Acacia is a strong and durable wood variety, being stronger than oak. It is mostly used for furniture making as it displays a beautiful grain.
Olive
Olive trees are commercially farmed for their fruit and not the wood. So one has to wait until the olive tree is no longer producing a commercial crop of olives before the tree is cut down. Given that some olive trees can live up to 2,00 years it can be a long wait.
Paraná (Brazilian) Pine
Named after the state of Parana in Brazil. It is technically classed as a softwood but is extremely strong and durable due to its straight grain and few knots. The trees has been heavily exploited in the past and it is now classed are critically endangered. It was used previously in window frames, floors and external framing. These are our sources of the diminishingly available wood stocks. You can see this wood in some of our products in which it has been slightly burnt to bring out the grain. This process of applying flame to the wood surface comes from Japan and is known as Shou Sugi Ban (also named as Yakisugi). The charred wood surface forms a decorative and protective cover.
Redwood
Not formally a hardwood, but is straight-grained and more durable than white pine wood.
Hardwood Prices
The cost of timber, both softwood and hardwood, is increasing as the demand increases. For example, kiln-dried English Oak can vary in price from £35 to £70 per cubic foot. The use of reclaimed wood and factory waste wood, therefore, makes economic sense.