What makes TEAK so special?

A little background

TEAK is a tropical hardwood that is highly desireable for use in difficult conditions. In fact, it has been used in ship building for hundreds of years. The trees can grow to as much as 40 meters (130 feet) tall and often live up to 100 years.

TEAK grows in a challenging environment, often withstanding monsoons, droughts, high winds and more. To withstand these environmental changes, the fibers of the TEAK tree bend rather than break. These thick fibers are one of TEAK's greatest feature as it makes it easier to cut and carve the wood.

Characteristics of TEAK

TEAK naturally contains oil in its heartwood that is water resistant and helps prevent attacks from decay, insects and bacteria. This oil also give teak it's characteristic gleam. In addition to its oil content, TEAK is known for it's slip-resistant surface. This is also a result of the environment in which it is grown. The land on which TEAK is grown has a high sand content which embeds itself into the body of the tree as it grows.

The difference between Plantation Teak and Burmese Teak

As with most woods, there are different qualities of TEAK, based in part on where the TEAK is grown and which part of the trunk is used. For the most part, plantation teak is harvested from trees that are 5 to 10 years old while non-plantation Burmese Teak is harvested from trees 25 to 50 year old. Allowing the trees to grow longer results in higher oil and sand content, often as much as 800% more.

Teakworks4u environmental commitment

Teakworks4u handcrafts its products from Burmese Teak that is harvested from reclaimed, sustainable forests. We do not do business with the Burmese government, chosing instead to work with reputable, certified growers dedicated to maintaining the world's rainforests.