Where teak comes from

Teak, Tectona grandis, grows mostly in South and Southeast Asia and in parts of Africa. Its natural oils, its strength and its resistance to decay and termites have made it a favourite for furniture, boats, floors and decorative veneer.

That popularity has a cost. Illegal logging and careless harvesting have damaged teak forests, which is why where the wood comes from matters as much as how it looks.

What a veneer saves

A face veneer is a quarter of a millimetre thick or less, so one log covers far more furniture as veneer than as solid timber. Careful slicing, by flat, quarter or rotary cut, gets the most from every log.

What to ask

Ask any supplier where their teak comes from, and how it reached them. Good wood comes with good answers.