Three hardwoods we know well
We deliberately keep the range narrow. Working with the same three species year after year is what lets us grade them consistently
Ash
Fraxinus excelsior
Ash is our main species. It is light in colour with a distinctly open, straight grain, and it combines strength with elasticity – which is why it holds up in parts that flex or take impact.
It machines and bends well, takes stain and lacquer predictably, and stays dimensionally stable once dried properly.
- Typical applications
- Chair and table frames · stair treads and stringers · solid and glued panels · sports and tool handles · interior joinery
- Available as
- Unedged and edged · fresh-sawn and kiln-dried
Oak
Quercus robur
European oak is dense, hard and highly durable, with tannins that give it natural resistance to decay. Its ray figure is what many furniture and flooring makers buy it for.
It is heavier and slower to dry than ash, and rewards a careful schedule – which is exactly why we dry it ourselves rather than buying it dried.
- Typical applications
- Solid and engineered flooring · doors and windows · worktops and stair parts · heavy furniture · interior cladding
- Available as
- Unedged and edged · fresh-sawn and kiln-dried
Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus
Hornbeam is one of the hardest hardwoods growing in Europe – pale, close-grained and almost without figure. It is chosen for what it does, not how it looks.
It wears extremely well and holds an edge in service, so it ends up in parts that take constant friction. It is demanding to dry, and we treat it accordingly.
- Typical applications
- Tool and knife handles · parquet and industrial flooring · gears, pulleys and machine parts · turning and carving blanks
- Available as
- Unedged and edged · fresh-sawn and kiln-dried
Before you plan around a species
Availability changes. We saw to order and our capacity is limited, so a species can be sold out at the moment you ask. Write to us and we will tell you straight away what is available
Have a cutting list ready?
Send it over and we will tell you what we can saw and when