Pricing Teak

[ken mcclure]

I have access to a bunch of teak. I don't know what the going rate is. Anyone here been buying teak recently? I'd like to get an idea of prices around the U.S.

[Frank Wentzel]

At a woodwrking show in Tampa a few weeks ago teak was going for $15+ a board foot. For comparison: purpleheart~$5.00, white oak~$3.50. What price are you getting for teak?

[Bruce Hooke]

Here are the current prices from my local supplier (HK Hardwoods) ( http://www.hkhardwoods.com ):


4/4 FEQ Teak Shorts 4" x 6' rough $10.00/bf
4/4 FEQ Teak Rough $15.90/bf
4/4 FEQ Teak S2S $16.00/bf
(prices are the same for 8/4)


What you might want to do is check the wood finder website ( http://www.wdfinder.com )since many of the suppliers listed thereon have websites with pricing information.

[This message has been edited by Bruce Hooke (edited 03-13-2001).]

[ken mcclure]

Ah! Many thanx for the replies.

I haven't gotten a firm price yet. Apparently there is a load of teak and purpleheart coming in....Teak in sizes up to 5"x5"x14' and purpleheart to 6"x6"x10'. He tells me that he can get me purpleheart up to 180' long!

I don't think I'll be laying a keel like that for awhile.

[Eb]

Originally posted by kwmcclure:
He tells me that he can get me purpleheart up to 180' long!

180' ???
Has to be a typo. If not, I gotta see this piece of lumber.

Eb

[gashmore]

For comparison, ASI in Ware Sholes, SC sold me:

80 bd ft of 8/4x2x6' shorts @ 7.50/bd.ft.
80 bd ft of 8/4 x4x12' at $10/ bd. ft.
40 bd ft of 4/4x6"x10 at 10.25/bd.ft
A 16' 5x5 would be an expensive piece. Probably in the $16 to $18 range.

[ken mcclure]

Nope! Not a typo, Eb. He says the trees grow to more than 200 feet. Only problem, apparently, is getting the durn thing shipped!

[NormMessinger]

Check out lumber prices here: http://www.rolaine.com/

If I had seed teak prices like these I might not have let yaall talk me into a dynel deck on Prairie Islander.

--Norm

[Mitchel Larsen]

Teak is outrageously priced nowadays, I recently bought some wood that I think qualifies as decent substitutes for teak. Afrormosia and Iroko respectively.
I bought out a supply of "exotic" lumber from a local mil that got into the exotic market in the early 80's and bombed. The two species mentioned sold for 90 cents a board foot. I bought out their supply of these and a few other species I liked-( not just for boats). Grain and color wise I like them better, maybe cause they don't look like teak. Between all the teak veneer in a Danish modern furniture store and the token veneer in so many plastic boats, I've grown a little sick of it.
Iv'e built a few interior and exterior things out of the two and like their workability and finish character so far. I plan to use them for some boat interior woods soon.
Any one have any experiences with these two woods?
Mitch

[gashmore]

Norm,

Enjoy your Dynel deck unless you had your heart set on a teak parquet deck. That guy is selling 3' to 4'shorts. Drop from a furniture plant in Costa Rico. His prices are outrageous for shorts in 100 bd ft lots. I paid less for my 8/4 FEQ from ASI and they were 10' to 14' random.

[Peter Sibley]

Just to make myself unpopular,are these timbers from forests with accredited sustainable logging practices,does anyone care?or is price the only factor?

[ken mcclure]

I think most of us here DO care about the deforestation problems. Yes. This wood is from approved sources. I checked that first!

[NormMessinger]

Ah, tiz good that your checked out Rolaine, Glen. I saw only the price and didn't look at sizes or minimum order. He's got a deal going with walnut now that seemed good enough to check. Maybe maybe not.

--Norm

[Art Read]

Yes... Let's not buy wood from "endangered" locations... Much better the locals make their living growing cattle for McDonald's! Perhaps they won't be going out cutting trees down as far away as they can find 'em anymore, but sure as hell they'll be getting lots of neighbors soon... Pesky trees!

I'd rather support the man who brings me a quality piece of timber, chosen and harvested with thought, than pay the "Orange Store" for any more third growth, managed forest crap.

[Scott Rosen]

Mitch, I have experience with iroko. My boat was built in Hong Kong, framed with steam-bent iroko and planked with teak. It's a strong, hard and durable wood. So far I've no rot or decay. My tiller is Iroko, and it takes a varnish finish beautifully. It's got a tighter grain than teak, more like mohagony, but the color is lighter than mohagony and more toward the yellow/amber range.

I saw a show on TV last week where they documented the current teak harvesting practices in Burma. Apparently the Burmese (or whatever they're called now) have had very strict laws governing the harvesting of teak for hundreds of years. All teak is harvested by elephant (no joke). It grows in areas inaccessable to motor vehicles of any kind. So, not only is Burmese teak the best you can get, it's also a responsible choice.

[Matt J.]

Should I feel guilty for the 300+ bd feet Angelique I bought from an importer from South America? Damn. I knew there had to be a catch, you can't buy this quality of wood for that cheap, in these sizes, without at least having to compromise somewhere.

Seems to me that teak is expensive stuff, and not the only wood that is suitable for decks. When we get to the deck we will certainly explore other options.

[Thaddeus J. Van Gilder]

UHHHHHHH
The problem with Angelique is the god awfull ring shakes. I have never seen another wood get them so bad.

Iroko is a good teak substitiue, but the last time i used them for floor boards on a daysailor, I varnished the tops, and let the bottoms stay bare. They warped like noodles in a year's time. At other times, I had painted or completely varnished it and it stayed straight, who knows why!

[Matt J.]

Ring Shakes? Never heard of 'em. Can you teel me what they are so I can keep an eye eout for them? Is there any prevention? Do they degrade the wood properties, such as strength or integrity?

The only complaints I heard of were that its so darn hard you need to predrill for even nails... Thanks for any info.

[Eb]

Ring shakes are tangential and longitudinal separation between growth rings. In urban (pruned) trees they are associated with the growth after a flush cut. How and why they occur in forest grown tree I don't know.

Eb

[This message has been edited by Eb (edited 03-16-2001).]

[Allen Foote]

Go here and check tese people out. Http://www.newworldteak.com

[ken mcclure]

Ah. Great! Thanx, Allen!

[gashmore]

East Teak http://www.eastteak.com/ is about $2/bd.ft. cheaper than New World and they only stock Burmese not Central American.

Crappy web site but high quality lumber.

Just before checking in here I ordered 50 bd ft of 6/4x5"x8' FEQ Burmese for $8.13/bd ft.

[Michael]

Other than being, I assume, "old growth", is there any other basic difference between Burmese and Central American teak?

[paladin]

The central american stuff just ain't as good....

[Nicholas Carey]

In addition to East Teak, check out Edensaw (http://www.edensaw.com/)

Good service, good stock.

And they sell PIRATE teak at cost. The 501(c)3 non-profit status helps.

[Mr. Know It All]

Ken......Here's a real good source for boat wood. They post prices on their site too. You could drive there and back to Pittsburgh in one day no problem.

http://www.homesteadhardwoods.com/

Peace---> Kevin in Ohio

[ken mcclure]

Ah. Thanx, Kevin. Hopefully I'll be back to work on the boat by September, and not bankrupt!!!!!

[Michael]

Originally posted by paladinsfo:
The central american stuff just ain't as good....

Whyzzat?

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Ken, I plan on starting my Eun Mara in Septrmber also. I have a firm deadline on finishing the kitchen by Sept 20th.(Mary's Birthday) I just moved the door(again) and moved a couple of windows around(again) put in a dog door for Russel Stover(the Chocolate Lab), rewired the walls, and moved the sink. Now I just need to take down the new sheetrock to move the recessed lights(again) and I'll be ready to roll.
I now have my Eun Mara's plans and Mary even lets me look at them occasionally! I'm dying to get started but a deal is a deal. She let me build the Thistle while the kitchen was taken apart but I promised not to start Eun Mara until it was finished. Did you get my e-mail? I've had some ISP problems.
What is the teak for? My local store gets $17 a board ft. I saw some there yesterday with some flame patterns in the grain. Very pretty.
Steven

[WWheeler]

Saw a web site for a Whitehall builder in Victoria B.c. Built with tupperware, but tricked out with lots of teak.

They said most Central American teak is plantation grown (apparently a good thing, compared to SE Asia), but cut too early for boat building. However, they'd found a good source of Central American teak that was decently mature.

My understanding is that, by comparison SE Asia teak is "wild", from old growth forest - we're talking Burma/Mayanmar -- I'm not sure if it's because the logging methods (clear cutting rain forest?) and/or it's propping a military dictatorship. Anyone with information? I've also heard negative comments about logging in Thailand, Indonesia.

I dont want to be PC about this, in the past but boat building has had a major negative impact on forests around the world -- Nova Scotia, England, Mediterranean (Noah seems to have used up the world supply of gopher in one go.)

I'm in favour of responsible logging -- in my part of Ontario, there's been a lot of great reforestation work -- trees are systematically harvested in a sustainable way. A forest can be selectively harvested every 5 years. The untrained eye can hardly even tell it's been logged. New hardwood trees start growing wild in the shade of the cultivated pines 40-60" high. This is in land that was pure 100% sand only 40 years ago.

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by WWheeler:
My understanding is that, by comparison SE Asia teak is "wild", from old growth forest - we're talking Burma/Mayanmar -- I'm not sure if it's because the logging methods (clear cutting rain forest?) and/or it's propping a military dictatorship. Anyone with information? I've also heard negative comments about logging in Thailand, Indonesia.

I dont want to be PC about this, in the past but boat building has had a major negative impact on forests around the world -- Nova Scotia, England, Mediterranean (Noah seems to have used up the world supply of gopher in one go.)

I'm in favour of responsible logging -- in my part of Ontario, there's been a lot of great reforestation work -- trees are systematically harvested in a sustainable way. A forest can be selectively harvested every 5 years. The untrained eye can hardly even tell it's been logged. New hardwood trees start growing wild in the shade of the cultivated pines 40-60" high. This is in land that was pure 100% sand only 40 years ago.

A good source for information on 'certified' lumber (sustainably harvested) is the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Their web site is at

International. http://www.fscoax.org/

USofA. http://fscus.org/

You can search for FSC-certified suppliers via

http://www.forestworld.com/public/research1.cfm

or

http://www.certifiedwood.org/search-...lierSearch.ASP

Part of what the FSC does is act as accrediting body -- they certify the certifiers. One of the big certifiers is SmartWood http://www.smartwood.org/

Hope this helps.