Teak: Worth the Wait

In the most ancient of times, when the world was young and mankind fresh from the earth, the elder gods bent an ear towards their creation and, exhausted by their efforts, asked mankind to conceive of one perfect thing, a single gift, and they would bestow it. Mankind, in its youthful wisdom, conferred a moment then answered: it would be tall, this gift, with many uses from top to bottom, and very beautiful. It would be strong and bend in the most frightening gales, but not break; it would not be harmed by rain, water, snow, or bleaching sunlight; it would be workable, bowing to the will of the hands, and never lose shape. It would not crack, nor break, nor splinter, nor would it be susceptible to disease. It would repulse insects, it would not harm precious iron or be harmed by it, or by any metal, and it would last longer than the reign of kings. So the gods considered, agreed, and presented mankind with a crowning achievement, the gift of teak wood. But they made the teak slow to mature that the wait might teach patience and appreciation for all good things given to man by the heavens.

Does this story sound familiar? It actually should not as it was just made up, but if you were reading what the humans wanted and shaking your head in disbelief thinking nothing like that could exist in nature, consider this a schooling. All the above are true properties of teak, a wood indigenous to Southeast Asia and it actually offers even more. So much, in fact, that it does seem somewhat invented, as if a child made a breathless list of everything good in the world and attributed it all to one single item. Teak is not, however, a created ideal though it is held as an ideal wood by just about anyone who knows anything about wood, because the uses for it are endless and cannot be matched by another natural material in the world.

The secret to this resilient, shapeable wood is several-fold; the heartwood of the tree is filled with special oils that infuse the teak with all its god-like abilities. The oils are anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, repelling the vast majority of insects and diseases that afflict other trees and the flesh of the tree has tough, high-density fibers that allow it extreme bending without snapping. It also boasts both rubber and silica in its makeup, which means it is ideal for ship decks and boats as it will give traction when wet, where any other wood simply becomes slippery. It is easy to infer, then, that teak is the wood of choice among those who enjoy maritime pursuits. In fact, teakís lack of splintering under gunfire is what endeared it so much to naval sailors in the 1800s, who were, during times of battle, being killed more often by splintering wood than enemy fire. The Chinese of the Ming Dynasty used teak extensively in their ship fleets, too, and this tradition continued into modern day, where the battleships of the United States Navy continue to be decked in teak to prevent slippage.

It is interesting to note that teak, when green or unseasoned, is actually too heavy and filled with water to float. Most who harvest the trees will girdle or ëscratchí a teak tree which is to cut a mote in its sapwood (basically the bark) and allow it to drain for a year. Even then, after it has been felled, it will need an additional three years to dry enough to float downriver.  As the story goes, the gods made the tree take a long time to mature: 40 or more years, in fact. 50 years and above is even better, because the longer the wood has to mature, the more reboundable and the stronger it becomes. In fact, under 40 years and the wood is too immature - the warm golden brown grain for which the wood is so revered will not be fully formed and the oils not to the point of protecting the wood and endowing it with the properties it can so proudly boast later in life.  So each tree has to wait minimum 44 years, preferably more, before it can truly be used. That is a long time for anyone and thankfully it is worth it, but it also goes some way to explaining why teak is so rare and precious a commodity, and why, at roughly $30,000 a single trunk, it is so expensive.

Can teak last longer than the reign of kings? As a matter of fact, yes, it can and it has. Pieces dating over 2,000 years old have been found whole and intact, in good condition, in West India. In 1811, explorers found Indian teak items in the walls of the palace of the Persian kings dating back to the 7th century, also perfectly sound of condition. This paints quite a promising picture for teak as a gift from the heavens. Imagine your teak garden table being found 1,000 from now, beautifully preserved, and what tales might be spun about it. It is actually not as far-fetched of an idea as some might first think. In fact, teak decking often outlives the water-faring abilities of the ships or boats in which it has been placed. When the boat is decommissioned, the teak is recovered and because it still holds all its oils and has lost no strength or integrity, it can be upcycled into furniture that still glows with its own interior warmth. Left to weather, the color of teak will change over time from the variant browns and golds to a silvery gray, which is also considered very attractive.

Even the leaves can be used and in Java, they are. Thick, tough, and rough of texture, they are used by those in the jungle as sandpaper, and the tree leaves have a red pigment to them that can be used as a dye. The roots are often made into furniture of a rugged nature, rather strange to the eye at first, but with its own brand of charm.

With all these amazing attributes, you might think we would have unearthed some way to grow these trees faster, but that is simply not the case. It is perfection that cannot be rushed and nature takes her own time. It does need to be protected, though, and it is; with additional farms in areas like Central and South America, or tropical Africa, teak is trying hard to fill the needs of everyone who demands it. The native birthplaces of teak are Thailand, Burma/Myanmar, India, and Laos. Indonesia has transplants and plantations, and is a very loud voice for the careful planning and reforesting of teak wood. For each tree felled, a sapling takes its place and wood production is regulated. Thailandís forests were virtually depleted and it shut its exports of teak down in the 1980s until proper care could be taken to keep it renewable. With these efforts, while we may never witness vast orchards of teak overtaking the horizon, it can at least be assured that our grandchildren will also be able to buy teak and not just see it handed down to them from previous generations. That, too, is worth the wait.

A Peek at the Author:

My name is Malkit Ram and greetings to you from my wife, Bimla, and me! We are the joint publishers of Allteakboutique, an online store dedicated to bringing you the best natural furniture for your needs. We want everyone who shares our joy of nature to have the chance to relax in it as we do, and to those ends we are proud to offer such renowned teak wood companies as Kingsley Bate Furniture and encourage those on a budget to browse the Barlow Tyrie sale items.

My wife and I share the joys of raising one amazing son with video game skills as yet unparalled (especially by myself) and three gorgeous, bright daughters. I would be remiss to forget Kano, our beloved American Bulldog, who is every bit a part of this family as any of us.

My favorite hobby is train spotting, which works out great as I am also a train engineer. My family and I enjoy relaxing in the back yard where we have created a garden of solace, a snug little place of beautiful greenery that allows us to unwind and escape the commotion of city life.