BOG OAK
Bog oak is not really a species of wood, but rather a term that describes trees which, due to their very long stay in lakes, rivers or peat bogs, acquire completely new characteristics.
NATURAL, ANCIENT TREASURE
The extremely low oxygen content in water protects the wood from normal decomposition, while the peat beneath it provides an acidic environment in which iron salts and other minerals react with the tannins in the wood, gradually giving it a distinct dark brown to almost black color. Due to its inaccessibility and extremely difficult to process structure, bog oak is probably the rarest type of wood used for furniture and flooring. However, thanks to our proprietary method of drying, we are one of the few companies in the world that specializes in the production of all kinds of products from this amazing material.
RARER THAN DIAMONDS
Bog oak is one of the rarest raw materials in the world, it is estimated that there is less of it on our planet than there are diamonds. There are fewer and fewer places in the world where civilization has not yet reached, and those that have remained untouched for thousands of years are extremely few. Therefore, the occurrence of swamp wood is extremely rare, and access to them is difficult, and often impossible. One of the oldest known clusters is located in the Croatian valley of the Skawa River, where logs up to 8,290 years have been excavated. Our studio receives slightly younger specimens, our record holder is over 6,200 years old. In order to verify the age, we send samples to the laboratory, where it is determined by radiocarbon dating.
EXTREMELY DEMANDING
Due to the complicated processes taking place in the structure of black oak, its further processing is very difficult. The problems start during the extraction process. Logs that rest on the bottoms of water reservoirs or the ones buried in the ground are fit for use only if they have been cut off from external factors throughout the entire period. If it turns out that the excavated log has been out of water at any point in time during thousands of years of history, it is impossible to use it for the production of furniture or flooring. In addition, this material is more likely to break when it is dried, and few have been able to obtain pieces large enough to create objects larger than tobacco pipes. The most popular way of drying this wood is seasoning it over many years, which slowly gets it used to the lack of a constant water environment.
INNOVATIVE PROCESS
By using the technique developed by our specialists, as the only (or one of the few) companies in the world, we are able to dry a bog oak without the need to season it. At the same time, we obtain a material suitable for the production of floors, furniture and decorative objects, the strength and water resistance of which is comparable to that of the most exclusive tropical species. To the best of our knowledge, we are the only company in the world that offers black oak floors with widths of up to 35 cm.
SO RARE THAT IT'S LETHAL
Due to their rarity and value, in the times of Tsarist Russia, possession of items made of black oak was prohibited under penalty of death. The only people entitled to such items were members of the tsarist family. Fortunately, these times are behind us and access to this mysterious resource is now a bit easier.
