Teak, History of
My wife is a reference librarian; I call her a research
librarian. Librarians have an enormous amount of information at their
fingertips that we, even with the internet, do not have access to. For
example; she knows how often a 56 year old man should make love and for
how long. This is not a bad thing but you get a little tired of being
compared to statistics all the time.
There are very few questions that come up at the breakfast
table that are not answered at the dinner table. I breached the topic of
teak which we have been discussing on this list and she sent me the
following information. Maybe some of you will be interested in it. For
the rest of you; get me your age and I'll find out what's "Normal" for
you.
Randal Johnson
Full Text COPYRIGHT Vance Publishing Co. 1992
It has become "the wood of ships." Known as ironwood in China because
teak grows harder with age, it is often used in building Chinese junks.
In his book, "Encyclopedia of Wood," historian John Makepeace cited
Admiralty of London pilot books as still warning those involved in
international shipping to "avoid collision with Chinese junks because
the ~ironwood' or teak is capable of overcoming steel in conflict."
The Chinese found that by burying teak in the damp ground for several
years, they could increase teak's strength and resistancy to almost all
marine and land parasites as well as to weather conditions. This
treatment was used on wood intended for hard-duty uses such as boats and
marine building.
The inherent oiliness of the wood acts as a natural protectant. While
other woods rot from the water, teak has always been a natural for
shipbuilding. Other marine uses include decking, deck houses, handrails,
bulwarks, hulls, hatches, planking, oars and masts.
Teak is also very popular today for outdoor furniture. Untreated, it
will weather to a silver gray. When treated with tung oil or any common
furniture oil, the wood takes on a beautiful red gold or tawny yellow
color with dark brown streaks.
Protected species
Peter Schlobach is president and owner of Crown Hardwood Veneer Corp. of
West Grove, Pa. Crown is the sister company to Schlobach Gebr. of
Hamburg, Germany, which is run by his brother Christian Schlobach. The
family has been in the business of selling exotic veneers from around
the world for some 150 years.
Schlobach said his company imports 2,000 tons of teak a year through
Schlobach Gebr. Most of his supplies are from Burma since shipments from
Thailand and India are very hard to get, Schlobach said.
"The best teak on the market today comes from Burma," said Schlobach.
But, he added, supplies have been strictly regulated for the past 25
years. "You can't buy it freely. It is coordinated through a state
agency and, in some ways, that has probably protected the supply. Sales
are by auction or allotments and they (government agencies) control who
can buy and limit the amounts. Prepayments are standard." Areas around
where teak grows are "rebel infested," he said, adding to the intrigue
of doing business.
A peek at teak
Schlobach said teak is synonymous with Danish, Scandinavian or modern
furniture. But, he added, he believes its furniture use is down over the
past two years, due in part to the popularity of the light and "white"
woods like oak and ash. "We have seen a reduction in popularity for all
the so-called darker woods including teak and mahogany. It is not as
fashionable for furniture."
According to Larry Frye, executive director of the Fine
Hardwoods/American Walnut Assn., "Some of the Europeans who used teak
for contemporary furniture have substituted white oak and more recently
red oak for teak." But, he added, the unique properties that make it so
special for marine uses and outdoor use cannot be easily substituted.
"The silicone content, the oiliness of the wood, is not found in any
other wood. What has affected the use of teak is the red tape and
government regulations, making it hard, or in some cases impossible, to
export logs. There is no shortage of teak -- it is not an endangered
species. Rather, teak is one of those woods that is under strict
government control, which can add to the price and make availability
hard," Frye added.
Teak continues to be strong choice for ship and boat building, both for
its decorative value and also for its durability. Exterior joinery,
exterior structural work and high quality garden furniture are also good
uses for teak. Teak is fire and acid resistant so it is used for
chemical vats and fume ducts. Teak is also used for flooring, paneling,
cabinetwork, turnery and novelty items.
Teak also has a rich and varied history of use for art and architectural
pieces. According to Makepeace, teak was found in the ruins of an
ancient city in Vijayanapur, Southern India. A temple was built on teak
planks only 1 1/2 inches thick, but when examined in 1881, the planks
were found to be in excellent condition despite 500 years of exposure to
the elements. Other evidence of teak's amazing durability is found in
cave temples in Salsette, India, where the 2,000-year-old teak remains
in mint condition.
Transporting the wood
Despite the high-tech world in which we live, teak is still transported
by elephants from the remote areas where it is logged to collection
sites and to rivers where teak is floated to mills. Schlobach has seen
the elephants in action and reports they are majestic and agile. "You
would think these big animals would be clumsy, but they are so
incredibly agile. They are much better at transporting teak than any
Caterpillar. In the remote mountainous areas where teak grows, with the
lack of roads, elephants are critical for transport," he added. Elephant
"training schools" still exist to teach the animals the art of teak
transport.
Teak is heavier than water, so it is cut and seasoned before
transporting on rivers or it would sink. In some areas, trees are
girdled and left standing for three years before being felled. Burma,
which accounts for up to 70 percent of the teak production, only will
sell logs debarked.
Teak will vary slightly in appearance according to the country of
origin. Burma teak characteristically has a yellow-brown sapwood with a
dark golden-brown heartwood. All teak darkens after exposure to the air.
The grain can be straight, wavy or fiddleback. It has a coarse texture
and is naturally oily. The wood dust can be an irritant to woodworkers,
causing dermatitis or lung irritation.
It has medium bending strength, low stiffness and shock resistance, high
crushing strength and moderate steam bending rating. It works well with
machine and hand tools but tools must be kept sharp and blunting of
cutting edges can be severe. Carbide cutting surfaces are recommended
and the wood glues moderately well. Machine boring is recommended for
nailing. Teak is an excellent wood to finish.
Teak grows naturally and also on plantations. It has been transplanted
to East and West Africa and the Caribbean. However, the true or genuine
teak is Tectona grandis. Cape teak, Johore teak, Philippines teak,
Rhodesian teak and others are look alikes but not the real teak.
African-grown iroko (Chlorophora
excelsa) has become known in some markets as "native" teak. While it has
some similar properties to the real thing, it is not a true teak or any
relation to Tectona grandis.
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