Kauri

Considered by many to be most beautiful and durable timber around, Kauri is a sought-after hardwood as rare as it is durable, as sacred as it is mesmerizing to behold. In its natural habitat, when standing under Tāne Mahuta the most revered Kauri tree in New Zealand, one is inspired by its grandeur, it's shear size and majestic volume. No wonder this species of tree is held sacred by the Māori people.

A finely finished work of Kauri timber often reveals an amazing flamed grain pattern coupled with what looks like a tiger coat ripple. With these three-dimensional iridescent tones, one can find themselves transfixed by the spectacle.

Uses for Kauri

Kauri timber is typically straight-grained and of highly sought-after quality. Kauri has an exceptional resistance to rot and decay with a great strength/weight ratio. Among many others, these qualities make NZ Kauri ideal for the manufacture of the following:

Yacht hull construction
Guitars & Ukuleles
Go boards (goban)
Shipbuilding (notably sought for long masts)
House construction
Wood Panels
High End Furniture
Mine braces (Historically)
Railway sleepers (Historically)

Due to the characteristics in the resin of the wood, Kauri is the traditionally preferred material used by Māori for Waka building, wooden weaponry, house hold tools, and carving.

Why is Kauri So Expensive?

Rarity

Because it is now illegal to fell a Kauri tree, we are limited to what can be found decaying in the forest or Swamp Kauri which is recovered from a preserved state in ancient swamps. This renders Kauri timber extremely rare.

Beauty

From the fiery colors, hues, and highlights to the mesmerizing tiger grain rippling across the face of the slab sets Kauri timber apart from most other timber species.

Durability

Due to it's high ratio of resin and its amazing strength to weight, NZ Kauri is extremely durable. Because of this trait, we are able to rescue logs, and branches that have laid in the wet bush of New Zealand for 200 years and use the timber as it if was milled recently.

History

The rich history of NZ Kauri from its religious sentiment with the Māori to its profound qualities in timber use, through to the sought after characteristics in its Gum, brings NZ Kauri into the highest price echelon of timbers in the world.

Supply of Kauri Today

To find a steady supply of Kauri timber is almost impossible. The reason being, for over 100 years, Kauri mills were pushing thousands of Kauri logs from the rugged lands of New Zealand onto large steam ships and taken back to England and through Europe.