Sourcing

We source our timber from a variety of local sawmills, lumber yards, and proprietary vendors from across Michigan and the Michiana region. In our search, we focus on quality, durability, and unique character, selecting only the timber that gives us the ability to make heirloom-quality pieces. Sometimes this results in sourcing trips that return little or no timber. We focus mainly on the best hardwoods available, such as walnut, mahogany, cherry, hickory, oak, etc. Although some of this timber is priced from five to ten times more than more commercially available wood, such as pine, we believe it's worth the cost to be able to make the highest-quality, beautiful heirloom pieces that will stand the test of time.

Processing

Although we sometimes source timber with an initial plan for its use, quite often we actually obtain it without knowing exactly how it'll ultimately be used. We simply source the material for its potential. In these cases, we let the wood tell us what it wants to be; that is, we come back to the wood again and again, observing its uniqueness, and considering its potential until one day, the wood gives us an idea that "clicks", stirring a passion to create with the piece. Sometimes this means that the wood sits in the shop for many months or even years before it moves on into its transformation.

Oftentimes, we use only a portion of the wood, which is that portion that is best-suited for the project at hand. The unused timber that doesn't serve as a central focus is then used in other projects where the character of the wood is not a key aspect of the piece.

To process the wood, we use a variety of techniques. Mostly, we prefer to use hand tools, such as hand planes, saws, and chisels, to craft the wood, but in some cases, we use power tools, such as a table saw or band saw, for precision when we need to have repeated, exact cuts or to make projects more manageable from a temporal perspective.

Finishing

Once we have processed the timber to meet the Crooked Timber standards of craftsmanship, we finish our final pieces using the the highest-quality finishes available. Whether it be more of a matte or a gloss finish, we apply more coats of finish than are typically used in the industry. In particular, rather than use only one or two coats, we prefer to use three to four coats and we allow significant time in between coats for drying. This allows the finish to not only penetrate the wood more deeply, but also provide the utmost protection and result in a much richer, shimmering sheen. While this is a more labor intensive and expensive process, we feel this is what is needed to make the highest quality products available, those that bear the Crooked Timber name.