By Sean Lewis
WisBusiness
ASHLAND – Are you in the market for a chunk of 50,000-year-old wood just waiting to become a masterpiece?
You’re in luck. In Wisconsin’s North Woods you’ll find Ancientwood Ltd. But the wood comes from a surprising source, far from Wisconsin’s borders.
Robert Teisberg, president of Ancientwood Ltd, has created a company that is the only provider of ancient Kauri wood in the United States. This wood is more than 50,000 years old and imported from New Zealand.
“The ancient Kauri we sell is similar in density to cherry wood, with textures similar to basswood, yet it feels like no other wood available in the United States,” Teisberg said.
So where does this prehistoric wood come from and how is it harvested? The logs are preserved below the surface of what are usually farm fields or ranch lands. They were deposited there due to a series of natural events, such as mud slides, that covered the fallen trees.
Once a location of wood is discovered, permission is sought to remove the wood from the ground. This is a careful process for two reasons, Teisberg said. One, the company doesn’t want to damage the wood. Two, the company is very passionate about being as ecologically friendly as possible.
After the wood has been removed from the ground the land is totally redressed to match its original contours.
However, once the land has been repaired the process of getting a beautiful piece of furniture out of this exquisite wood has just begun. The simple task of transporting these huge logs takes many hours.
Once the logs have reached their destination, the milling process can begin. During this time, he said the wood is dried by many methods. By drying the wood by more than one method the rate of drying is slowed and the wood is better preserved, he said.
Finally, when the milling is complete the wood is ready to be sold and worked with. Ancientwood offers the wood in many different shapes and sizes, from 10-foot slabs to much smaller pieces.
Ancientwood tries to distinguish itself among other wood suppliers by cutting every piece of wood based on customer orders and carbon dating the wood for authenticity, he said.
The customer feedback Teisberg has received on his website is something he is very proud of.
Here is what one customer wrote: “Dear Mr. Teisberg: I received my shipment of Kauri today. All I can say is WOW WOW WOW!!!!!! As a woodworker with over 20 years experience, I can just about see how this wood is going to look finished. You have outdone yourself. Thank you.”
Ancientwood also offers finished pieces of furniture for sale, Teisberg said. Customers can choose from existing designs. Ancientwood is also willing to create completely unique pieces. After all, Ancient Kauri wood will never get old.
Lewis is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.
