Login | Create an Account Site Upgrade Notice
Subscribe to Fine Woodworking Magazine
Back to List

Now This is a Big Slab of Wood

July 1st, 2009 in blogs     
MKenney Matthew Kenney, associate editor
thumbs up 16 users recommend
Big wood. This slab of Kauri is massive and old.
Come and get it! I dont know about your family dinners, but this table is plenty big for mine. Its made from a very big slab of Kauri.
Big wood. This slab of Kauri is massive and old.

Big wood. This slab of Kauri is massive and old.

Photo: Courtesy Ancientwoods, Ltd.
Add CommentAdd Comment
PrintPrint

I love wood, as my lust for Cuban mahogany illustrates. So I was pleased to get an email from Ancientwood, Ltd., telling me about a slab of Kauri they recently brought into the US. Kauri is salvaged from peet bogs in New Zealand, and most of it is roughly 50,000 years old. (Now that's truly old growth wood!) We wrote about the company and the wood back in FWW #173, along with some great old cyprus from South Carolina.

We have a small chunk of Kauri here in the office and it is truly beautiful. The density of the growth rings is stunning, and the color is a very attractive caramel red, a bit browner than cherry.

Enjoy the photos.


add to cart
On Wood and How to Dry It
From the editors of Fine Woodworking Learning About the Nature of Wood $9.95 more info...

posted in: blogs
Add CommentAdd Comment PrintPrint

Comments (4)

2straightlines writes: MKenney, haven't you heard of that non-wood substance called humour? It's spelt humor in the USA. I am pretty sure kauri would/wood have been used as railway sleepers in NZ though. Western Australia used Jarrah for railway sleepers and house frames, Huon Pine was used for farm fence posts etc in Tasmania. It's only as certain woods become rare that they are only used for restricted purposes, and even off-cuts become much sought after by wood workers and others. Posted: 6:07 am on October 12th
MKenney writes: 2straightlines:

Why would someone burn kauri? It costs at least $25 per bd. ft.! Posted: 3:47 pm on July 22nd
2straightlines writes: I've heard that Kauri burns really well in an open fire place. Has any one heard how it burns in a slow combustion stove? Probably makes really hard-wearing railway sleepers too! Posted: 5:46 pm on July 15th
chairmannz writes: This a nice slab of kauri, to big to fit in my workshop.
I also like to work with kauri, its just great to work with this old wood

Posted: 11:05 pm on July 3rd
You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.