Our Process
Each of our projects begins with locally sourced wood that we harvest from trees that are being cut down. Each board is individually put together, and carefully sanded multiple times. Our products are finished with mineral oil and beeswax harvested from hives in our own urban farm.
What Makes Us Unique
Local Materials
Most of our woods were milled in the Bay Area, and many of them we milled ourselves. Making our own choices for milling means we have lots of flexibility for grain orientation and board thickness. The wax in our finish is also locally sourced from bee hives in our backyard. If you smell carefully you may get a whiff of honey.
Intentional Designs
Many of our boards are bookmatched, which allows us to treat our woods as more than just strips of color. Bookmatching is a process in which a thick piece of wood is cut lengthwise, and then the faces along the cut, which are mirror images, are placed side by side.
Limited Run
We've heard “you should go into business....” many times. Honestly, the economics aren't great. However, if we can translate demand for these items into a donation to address racial injustice and food insecurity, we think this website is a worthwhile project. If you've missed an item at a school auction or wished you had another item like the one you already have for a friend, now is your chance.
“It made the food taste even better!” - S. Maus
Our Materials
Buckeye
This tree was growing just in front of our house. It was diseased and dying back further each year. When it was finally removed we were able to salvage about a half dozen bowl and platter blanks. Buckeye often has a shimmery look similar to satin. This wood is heavily spalted in some areas making it even more colorful. Some of our buckeye also has interesting burled sections.
Black Acacia
This is commonly used as a landscaping tree in the Bay Area. It is native to Australia but sometimes called California Koa as it looks similar to the Koa native to Hawaii. It is very hard and the grain stays smooth even after repeated washing. Our acacia lumber mostly came from a couple of trees removed near Lake Merritt that we milled in 2006. Some additional pieces came from a tree that fell near St Theresa church and school about the same time.
Bay Laurel
Bay Laurel, also called Myrtle, is native to coastal California and Oregon. It is not often found in lumber yards but can sometimes be found as small household items in boutiques. Our Bay Laurel comes from two very large trees in Sonoma. The one we milled in 1998 had become a hazard to some nearby buildings. The trunks we milled in 2003 fell at Pickberry Vineyard. Three of the tree's original five trunks are still standing. We milled both with Keith Rice, Steve’s former Montera shop teacher.
Walnut
Our walnut comes from two primary sources. The older wood was milled by Keith Rice in the mid 1980s, from two or three trees in the Hayward area. The newer walnut was milled in Albany, CA in 2015. The trunk we milled was 4 feet in diameter. This tree was too big for the backyard it was growing in and had become a danger to the nearby homes.
Elm
The elm tree we salvaged was enormous, with a trunk diameter over 5 feet. The tree had begun to drop limbs and become a serious hazard. We were able to salvage two eight-foot sections. Dutch Elm disease has claimed many of these trees in the Bay Area. There are a number of places locally where you can see it used as bar counters or restaurant tables. This tree was salvaged in 2004 and milled with Keith Rice.
Oak
The oak was milled in Fairfield, CA by a neighbor over 20 years ago. The tree was growing on a property primarily used as a hunting reserve. We bought it recently when they moved. We also have oak we milled in 2016 from Pickberry Vineyards in Sonoma. The tree had fallen from decay in the root system but the trunk was still sound. Clearing all the branches (mostly safely) took half a day.
Maple
We traded a walnut board milled with Keith Rice for the maple used in our boards.
Care
Do apply mineral oil and or beeswax when you want to refresh the finish. Use a rag or paper towel and wipe off any excess. The original finish will mostly be restored. Our cutting boards are meant to be used and will take the punishment of daily use. Wash, rinse and dry bowls and cutting boards when you need to clean them. Our bowls are best used to hold dry goods, fruits or vegetables, or anything you want to remember.
Don't leave wood sitting in water for a long time, especially bowls with thinner sides. Letting it sit in water until the next day will cause cracking over time. The finish may change if bowls are used for salad given the ingredients in salad dressing.