Wood for DIY art
Exotic wood of curly birch
Curly birches exotic wood grows only in Europe, mainly the region of the Baltic Sea and Central Europe. Due to its rarity the wood is paid by weight. This slow growing trees stunning flame/burl figured wood is often used in the interior decoration of luxury homes, yachts and high-end cars.
The main use of curly birch veneer is the manufacturing of highly decorative furniture and architectural panels. Curly birch fine figured wood is highly valued by craftsmen because of its attractive irregularity in structure and also for its durability. This exotic wood has important part on Scandinavian traditional woodworking. Curly birch wood is a traditional material for carving famous Puukko knives and carving other durable items.
The grainy pattern of a curly birch belongs to the world’s ten most expensive among rare wood types, whereas most of them come from tropical rainforests. Cultivation of curly birch is environmentally friendly, because the highly valued wood originates mainly from former agricultural lands.
Associate Professor of Dendrology and Forest Entomology
Chair of Silviculture and Forest Ecology
Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering
Estonian University of Life Sciences