Questions and Answers

Some are, some aren’t. It will say on the product page if the piece is ‘Suitable for exterior use’.

Some pieces still retain a lovely, faint smell of smoke if you put your nose up to it. This brings in the sense of smell as well as sight and touch. Different timber species give off different aromatic compounds when charred depending on the oils and resins it contains. Some woods might smell sweet and vanilla-y, others piney and fresh.

For interior use, very little, if any, maintenance is required. If the piece has an oil finish, you may choose to re-oil it every few years to maintain its lustre. Pieces with an acrylic varnish require no maintenance.

Many of the pieces have most of the loose material brushed off. On certain species of wood, like cedar, I like to leave the ‘alligator skin’ char effect undisturbed. Although these pieces have several coats of varnish rather than oil, which would not strengthen the char, any heavy knocks or scrapes could damage the surface. Hopefully, you wouldn’t be that rough with it!

As a rule, no. I was thinking of offering to make pieces out of special trees that had fallen in clients’ gardens, but travel, coordinating with tree surgeons and waiting for the timber to dry, amongst other things, would make it impractical. That’s not to say that I couldn’t be persuaded for something truly special.

Some are, some aren’t. It will say on the product page if a piece is food safe or not. The fact that the finish is food safe does not mean you can put every type of food within it. A dressed salad or soup is not recommended!