AncientWood

Ancient Kauri is at least 50,000 years old. We use radio carbon dating
for verification. 50,000 years is the maximum limit of radio carbon
dating can read which means that these trees are even older.

Some ages to consider:

• 50,000 years ago this region (North America) became ice-free at the end of the last ice age.
• 40,000 years ago the oldest Homo Sapiens were on earth.
• 20,000 years ago Fred met Wilma.
• 16,000 years ago the depressions that will become the Great Lakes were fully formed.
• 10,000 years ago woolly mammoths and saber tooth tigers were roaming the earth.
• 300 years ago the United States of America was just coming into being.

Does Kauri still grow?

Yes, Kauri trees still grow in New Zealand.
Early in the 1900’s incredible amounts of Kauri were felled and used for ship building, houses, bridges, furniture and household items.
New Zealand now protects the remaining Kauri trees and there are living reserves on the North Island.

Is Ancient Kauri environmentally friendly?

Very much so. Harvesting entails no cutting of any standing trees, and all of the land the trees come from is redressed to its original contours. Ancient Kauri is eco-friendly.

Ancient Kauri qualifies for LEEDS certification and is considered a ‘green’ eco-friendly wood.

How is Ancient Kauri cut down?

All of the Ancient Kauri trees we find today are laying down, they fell into the great peat swamps during prehistoric times. These prehistoric bogs are usually farm fields or ranch lands today. When a site is identified, permission is secured, and expert operators use heavy equipment to carefully expose and lift the trees. It is a wet and dangerous job.

Raising these immense logs to the surface is just part of the job. Bringing them to the mill and the milling itself has necessitated some rather innovative ideas.

Is this wood petrified?

Not at all. You cut, drill, sand, glue, screw, and finish it like any ordinary wood. Use normal woodworking tools and methods and you will be delighted with what you make.

What is it like to work with?

The density and characteristics of Ancient Kauri can change from piece to piece.

The wood from the roots is dense, hard, heavy, full figured and wild. It is interesting to work with and produces some amazing pieces.

The wood from the trunk of the tree is clear, smooth and predictable. There are no knots or other surprises in the trunk wood.

Ancient Kauri wood can be cut, shaped, sanded and finished using normal techniques.

How big is an Ancient Kauri board?

Ancient Kauri trees can be 20 feet in diameter and the smallest piece we sell is the size of a pen. The biggest piece is forty feet long and five feet wide.

You can order wood to any size you want, we are happy to cut what you want.

Standard stock, all Ancient Kauri:

• Common boards 1, 2 and 3 inches thick, rough cut, planing services available.
• Boards can be up to 7 feet across and 40 feet long.
• Natural edged timbers and boards give an interesting flavor to projects.
• 3 inch thick stump slabs have unusual shapes and very active grain similar to a burl, up to 80 inches across.
• Large and small turning blocks.
• Unusual pieces and thicker blocks for turning, sculpting and carving.
• Plywood and veneer, 4 x 8 sheets, standard thickness.
• Milled lumber, flooring, molding and wainscoting.
• Let us know what you want and we can probably do it.

Has Ancient Kauri been on TV?

Yes, you can find is on the History Channel’s ‘Modern Marvels, Lumberyards Episode’ and ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ in 2009.

Have there been any articles about Ancient Kauri?

We are pleased to have been featured in: “Fine Woodwork”, “Woodworking Journal”, “Woodshop News”, “Timber Homes”, “Journal of Light Construction”, “Woodworkers Journal”, “Woodshop News”, “Timber Homes Illustrated”, “American Woodworker”, and the “Log Home Living 2006 Buyers Guide”.

We are to have a whole chapter about us in the book: “A Splintered History of Wood”

For the botanist and arborist:

The scientific name for Kauri is Agathis australis. The species is endemic to New Zealand and belong to the Araucariaceae plant family. These plants are conifers, they produce cones instead of flowers for reproduction.

How do I know this is the real thing?

Every shipment from New Zealand is thoroughly tested and certified by the leading radio carbon dating laboratory in the United States. Every order of Ancient Kauri is accompanied by the hand signed Certificate of Authenticity with the gold foil seal.

What is the Certificate of Authenticity?

Every order of Ancient Kauri is accompanied by the hand signed Certificate of Authenticity with the gold foil seal.
This is a very cool piece of provenance to deliver with a project when it is done.
This makes an Ancient Kauri projects even more special.