Your Guide to Waney Edge Softwood
Increasingly popular for its ‘raw’ finish and natural feel, Waney Edge Softwood is fast becoming a firm favourite for innovative designers and architects. However, while many may claim that all softwoods are equal, we’re confident that our Waney Edge Softwood is far more equal than all the others. Here’s why…
What is Waney Edge Softwood?
Coming from the old English word ‘wana’ (which actually means ‘defect’) waney edged timber is wood that has been cut close to the outside of the log, leaving at least one edge that is ‘raw’ or ‘living’ – i.e. not squared off.
Why Choose Thorogood Waney Edge Softwood?
Slow Grown for Maximum Stability & Durability
All of our Waney Edge Softwood is sourced from the southeast of Sweden, an area famed for its high quality softwood due to its extremely slow grown, naturally occurring forests. This slow growth ensures much tighter and denser wood, which leads to much more stable timber that is less likely to move or warp during performance. From these forests, our supplier selects the finest quality redwood, whitewood, and larch butt-logs, chosen to exacting standards.
Sustainability as Standard
Since these forests are naturally occurring rather than planted, and because our supplier is extremely selective, our softwood is also exceedingly sustainable and environmentally-friendly.
Timber Processing by Time-Served Craftspeople
Of course, the strength, stability, and quality of softwood relies as much on how it is processed and conditioned as it does on where it is sourced and from what species.
Each of our Waney Edge Softwood butt-logs is boule cut by a frame saw to precise measurements, ensuring a good selection of both long and wide planks, before being air-dried and then kiln-dried to a higher level of dryness than most other types of Scandinavian Redwood. We also ensure that the post-kilning return to equilibrium happens slowly, to avoid the case-hardening, splitting, and twisting associated with rapid cooling. Boule-cutting and slow drying with the wane on the wood in this way ensures that you receive straighter and more dimensionally-stable timber with a huge variety of dimensions suitable for many different uses.
Dry Storage
Lastly, we here at Thorogood choose not to store our softwood outside, which can be detrimental to the quality of the timber, but rather store it inside in protected environments, which ensures it remains of the highest quality right up until it’s placed in your care.
Like to Know More?
If you’d like to know more about our Waney Edge Softwood and why it could be the perfect material for your next project, speak to one of our timber experts today on 01206 233 100 or drop us a line via our contact form.
Guides | 6 years AGO