Live Edge Lumber
“Big Box” Stores vs. Smaller Independents
When our website manager asked me to write about this topic, I was very happy to do it! The question of which type of store is better is not an easy one to answer, nor is one type the clear-cut winner. Over the years, I have had plenty of experience with both operations, first as…
Read MoreThe (Un)Usual Suspects: Really Unusual Walnut Slabs
I am always on the hunt to buy wide hardwood slabs from our network of small sawmills, but it gets harder and harder to find them, as demand is high. Walnut is always scarce, because there just aren’t that many Walnut trees here in New England. Tree companies come across them occasionally when a homeowner…
Read MoreJust Arrived: Hardwood & Pine Slabs
Recently, I was able to purchase a couple loads of such materials. We have wide, “live edge” slabs in Black Walnut, Black Cherry, White Oak, Red Oak, and Eastern White Pine. These run from 1″ to 3″ in thickness, along with some 4″ and 6″ pieces ideal for mantel tops. We also have a limited amount of American Elm, Maple, and a few other species.
Read MoreLive Edge Lumber & Slabs: Out With the Old & In With the New
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, it was kind of a fad to use live edge lumber on the gable ends of ranch and split-level houses. Many people, myself included, thought this was a total mismatch of architectural styles, but it sure was big for a while. “Live edge” boards are flat sawn for the width of the log, which ideally should have a wavy pattern on one side, due to protrusions from tree branches, etc.
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