Imagine a painter weaving his own canvases before he paints. Few artists prepare their own raw materials but we do just that. Working that beautiful piece of wood in the shop comes at the end of a long process that begins in the forest. Trees are cut down by chainsaw, sawn into logs and hauled to the nearest road by tractor. In the Knysna Forests, heavy Percheron horses are used for this purpose to minimise damage to the undergrowth. The logs are trucked to our workshop and loaded onto the sawmill. The sawyer (that's me) decides on the best way to cut the log in order to maximise recovery and grain pattern/direction. Typically at least  50% of the log volume is lost as sawdust and first cuts. A distinct advantage of running your own sawmill is the ability to book match grain patterns, resulting in the finest furniture available.

Once the logs are sawn, planks gets pin stacked and air dries for at least one year depending on species and thickness. Moisture content is monitored to ensure the timber is dry enough for joinery. On certain projects we might send the boards for additional kiln drying. Only then is the plank ready for working into furniture.