Is plantation teak as good as old forest teak?

Customers sometimes ask whether our teak is from old forests, and are surprised, or even disappointed, to hear that it comes from plantations. It is a fair concern, because teak quality does vary a lot. But plantation teak is not the same as fast-grown teak, and the difference matters.

The Nilambur area has grown teak in managed plantations for over 150 years, and the trees we buy at the government auctions are usually 50 to 70 years old when felled. At that age, most of the log is heartwood, the dark, oily inner wood that gives teak its strength, its resistance to termites and its golden colour. Young teak, cut at 10 to 20 years and sold cheaply in many markets, is mostly pale sapwood, which is softer, absorbs water and is attacked by insects.

Old forest teak, from trees of a hundred years or more, can have tighter growth rings and an even richer colour, and it is beautiful. But very little of it is legally available now, and much of what is sold as old teak is actually salvaged from demolished houses, which can be excellent or full of hidden nail holes and rot.

What matters most for your furniture is that the wood is mature heartwood and properly dried. We cut away all sapwood, and every plank has dried for two years in our yard. If you visit, we will show you a cross-section of a Nilambur log, so you can see the heartwood for yourself and choose the planks for your table.