Reclaimed Kapur, one of two sustainable Hardwood Options

Sustainable Hardwood

Sustainable Hardwood. Because Hardwoods have long been sought after for their longevity, durability and value, questionable logging practices have often plagued the industry.  Sure many hardwoods are beautiful and exotic but at what cost did they get to the States. Were they illegally logged to make a quick buck? Were rain forests clear cut and the lumber hauled out in the middle of the night?

With those questions given the utmost importance, The Lumber Baron is now offering two different sustainable hardwood sources, Genuine Mahogany and reclaimed Kapur.

Genuine Mahogany:

                 1×6 Genuine Mahogany

Mahogany has long been prized by those in the woodworking community. The Lumber Baron is proud to be a stocking dealer of Mahogany 1×6 decking and fencing.

Mahogany is much easier to work with then it’s IPE counterpart and you don’t have to worry about it’s cutting practices. Planted from genuine Honduran Swietenia Macrophlla (Genuine Mahogany) seeds the first plantations were established after World War 2.

Reclaimed Kapur:

            Reclaimed Kapur

From the elevator shafts of the Copper King Mine established in 1881 in Yavapai, AZ, The Lumber Baron is proud to announce the arrival of 6×8 old growth reclaimed Kapur timbers, a bunch of which we milled into our Rustic Reclaimed Kapur Flooring. In search of dense, hardwood to support the weight of the mine shafts, theses early miners trusted their lives to the ancient Kapur trees that came out of the tropical lowland rain forests of Malaysia and Indonesia. The lumber ranges in color from light orange and yellow, to rich red and purplish browns. Old growth Kapur lumber is durable, dense and stunning.

Kapur Lumber Characteristics

Kapur lumber often displays striking figure making it ideal for furniture and cabinetry, exquisite flooring or wall paneling or as a standalone statement mantel piece. This lumber is a popular choice for external joinery, in particular for doors, window sills, and decks. Kapur lumber requires no finishing and holds up well in an exterior application. Left untreated, Kapur lumber will weather to a soft warm shade of gray similar to the way teak weathers. When freshly cut, the timber releases a camphor, cinnamon-like odor.

Kapur’s working properties are fairly easy with a moderately hardness rating. The Kapur lumber machines well and is easy to plain. We recommend pre-drilling when attaching near the ends, but otherwise the timber takes screws well. Stains and paint also take well.

The availability of this Kapur lumber is limited, perhaps because the international trend towards sourcing timber from old growth rain forests has rightfully become unpopular in recent years. However, The Lumber Baron is proud to offer you this reclaimed, guilt free source.

Mill our reclaimed Kapur lumber into beautiful furniture, paneling or flooring. Used as is they would make unique mantle pieces!