Norfolk Oak are the most old fashioned technologically advanced manufacturer of finished joinery and cabinet making in existence. Committed to sustainable forestry, traditional construction and creating pieces of timeless value from solid wood, we are happy to be one of the few companies left that values craftsmanship and detail above all else. From worktops to staircases, bespoke furniture to a simple door, a Norfolk Oak piece is a reflection of years of hard work, experience and dedication.
Even our workshops echo our extreme character – three hundred year old barns with some of the finest and most accurate woodworking equipment on the planet. Located in the heart of the Sandringham Estate on the North Norfolk Coast – the sea is only a mile away, closer if the wind is in the wrong direction.
Norfolk Oak are the only professional woodworking company to start with the whole tree and end up with the finished product. This is a crucial element to our business because of the value it creates for our customers. A Norfolk Oak piece might not be cheap, but for value it is unbeatable. Clients often ask us why we are that bit more expensive than a competitor, an entirely justified question and one we are always delighted to be asked. Because the answer is so compelling; The quality of our timber and manufacturing is so high compared to everyone else the value gap between our products and theirs is simply huge. Yet the disparity in price hardly reflects that dramatic gap.
Please take the time to enjoy our website and don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions.
American White Oak Quercus alba
American White Oak is the finest Oak on the planet. Harder, denser and with a more delicate, beautiful grain structure than any other Oak, it is no surprise that it is also the most sought after by fine furniture makers the world over.
But the story doesn’t even end there; American White Oak varies enormously across North America depending on the local climate. White Oak trees are not great lovers of hot, humid climes, nor indeed frozen tundra. The ideal conditions are found in the Northern Appalachian Mountain Region of New England. Here, four distinct and relatively extreme seasons, certainly compared to the UK, provide the Oak with everything it needs to flourish at its very best. The warm wet spring provides a strong start to the growing season, the long hot summer solidifies that growth. A gentle autumn presents the most stunning ‘fall foliage’ which coincides with a hugely important aspect for the growing Oak; acorn production. Finally, a hard, cold winter shrinks back the summer growth and slows maturity, which gives the Oak its incredible strength yet beautifully delicate tight grain structure.
Our Oak comes from the very heart of this region. Our timber suppliers are members of the Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc. (AHMI), so our Oak is certified as sustainable. In fact, this is not really the full story. The AHMI members are responsible for adding six billion board feet annually (one board foot is measured as 12 inches long, 12 inches wide and 1 inch thick). This is a net addition after annually harvesting 2 billion board feet. A new growth rate of 3:1 – hardly just sustainable!
So, having the finest Oak in the world is a good start. The next vital aspect of the acquisition process is grading. We only buy ‘FAS’ grade lumber. This is the top grade – FAS stands for first and seconds and is colloquially known as furniture grade – which is naturally the most expensive. This is the only way we can produce such amazing worktops. After FAS come three more grades, one, two and three common. FAS is usually less than fifteeen percent of an Oak tree, with two common providing the most at around forty percent. Most worktops with 40 mm wide staves are made from either two or three common as there are so many defects in the bottom two grades there is almost nothing else that can be made with them.
Once we have our ‘green’ (unseasoned) Oak, we then have to stack it on ‘sticks’ to allow the air to circulate around each plank. It is then put in ‘T’ sheds – a shed shaped like a giant T - which keeps the rain and sun off yet allows for the wind to blow right through and gently air dry the Oak. It takes around 6 months for the moisture content to drop to 31 %, at which point it goes in to the kilns for about four months. Oak is notoriously difficult to dry well as you simply have to take your time. As soon as you rush the process you risk warping, splitting and twisting the boards so badly they become impossible to machine or to get a good finish. This still doesn’t stop even the largest merchants from pushing it as hard and fast as they can get away with, always allowing for a little splitting (shake) and some warping. Yield and time are their only considerations, which is precisely why we decided we had to control even this initial part of the process to really get what we want – perfect Oak.
American Black Walnut Juglans nigra
American Black Walnut, singularly the most highly prized of all furniture hardwoods, and with good reason. The elegance and definition of the grain is at once so delicate yet strong, it seems impossible for a timber of such beauty to be as hard and durable as it is.
American Black Walnut grows throughout the mid eastern United States, from Georgia in the south to Wisconsin in the north. The further south one goes, the more the walnut takes a purple tint, with a slightly cruder, more wavy grain structure. The really amazing walnut comes from the far north, particularly Wisconsin, Illinois and all the northern New England States like Vermont and New Hampshire. It’s the distinct seasons which make all the difference. Warm wet spring conditions for strong leaf production, lovely lazy long summers for growth, followed by extended autumn vistas famous around the world, finishing with staggeringly harsh winters for consolidation and tightness within the grain.
Although we are lucky enough to be on the door step of the finest Appalachian Hardwood area in the whole country, particularly for Oak, we still have to travel a bit for the ultimate in walnut. Because of the sheer value of the timber, it is one of the few hardwoods which justifiably travel long distances in the USA. We are just finishing a batch of walnut from Wisconsin, and are currently running a batch from Northern Vermont, high in the Appalachian Mountains. Because we dry our own walnut, we quantify a batch as a kiln charge. This is the amount of timber required to fill a kiln, which is roughly three hundred thousand cubic feet; around 150 tons of walnut or seven giant lorry loads.
We specify the age (90 to 130 years old), minimum butt - trunk - diameter (2’8”), thickness of cut (2.0625”), average length (minimum 9’, maximum 21’) and general condition of the butt. We process all the planks from the butt, which is known as ‘mill run’. We then separate the planks to allow air to flow freely though, and leave the timber in ‘T sheds’ – open sides but with a roof to keep rain and sun off the top of the timber – for about 4 months to slowly dry ready to go in to the kilns for a further 3 months. Here the temperature builds slowly to about 120 degrees F until the optimum drying rate is achieved. If anything we dry our walnut a touch too slowly – in effect we baby it - but considering there is £ 250,000 worth of walnut stuck in there, a few extra days drying is worth paying for. This is one of the major differences between us and even the best timber merchants, for whom speed takes precedence over the finer aspect of quality.
It is worth understanding the differences between American Black Walnut and other Walnuts, real and imaginary. On the real front, there is European Walnut. A paler, softer wood, European Walnut is from much smaller trees which is why it is virtually unheard of in wide stave. Mostly from Turkey, it is fast growing, contains a lot of sap wood (the yellowish streaks) simply because of the narrowness of the butt, and is not generally used at all in furniture. On the imaginary front, there seem to be more and more types of “Walnut” discovered every year. At the moment, ‘African Walnut’ is the most common. Nothing to do with real Walnut, ‘African Walnut’ is in fact a coniferous tree with berries that look like walnuts. The dark colour adds to the myth. Sadly, it is a rainforest tree, and a victim of the slash and burn culture in Africa which has destroyed thousands of square miles of virgin rainforest in the last 50 years. Another imaginary walnut is ‘Tiger Walnut’. Once again, nothing to do with Walnut, but another rainforest tree, it looks no more like real walnut than painted mdf. I find it quite insulting that these rainforest trees are frequently referred to as ‘sustainable’ which is a simple and out and out lie. Please do not be taken in by them. Not only are you being conned, you will be sorely disappointed.
Thanks for reading about our Walnut – it can look as if we go on a bit sometimes, but the simple fact of the matter is that we are passionate about our walnut – about all out timbers actually. Over the years we have gradually refined every aspect of our timber sourcing, processing and finishing with just one thing in mind – the ultimate in quality. If you wanted to talk to us about any aspect of this, please call us on 01485 600 555.
A Norfolk Oak hardwood worktop is quite unlike any other mass produced kitchen worktop. Made from the finest furniture grade North American hardwoods from deep in the Northern Appalachian mountains of New England - Norfolk Oak worktops are simply stunning.
Our worktops are constructed here in the UK at our workshops on the Sandringham Estate, North Norfolk. With a standard range and a bespoke service second to none, we can produce the most beautiful kitchen worktops with virtually limitless design. Whatever shape you can imagine, we can create it using the most beautiful hardwoods on the planet.
I would strongly urge you to compare photographs on our website with any other retailer. Whilst our worktops may be slightly more expensive than the competition, they are infinitely better value. There are real reasons for this, not least amongst them the quality of the hardwoods we use. Whilst this quality is readily visible in the beauty of the timber, it also makes a huge impact in the design of the worktop.
For example our Wide Block worktops have an average stave width of 80 mm, double the standard 40 mm found in cheap mass produced worktops. Norfolk Oak are the first and only company to make traditional plank worktops with proper wide planks of timber, joined length ways and edge ways to create outstanding worktops over 6 metres in length. Norfolk Oak Super Stave worktops are something quite special and unique to us. With long, continous planks in lengths of over 4 metres, the look created is simply stunning and forms the defining feature to any kitchen.
Despite such high quality, a Norfolk Oak Worktop is incredible value for money. The simple reason being that we are not just a retailer but the actual manufacturer. From the second the tree is felled, Norfolk Oak control the entire process. We plank it, dry it, grade it, mold it, glue it, sand it and finish it. When our customers desire it, we cut it to shape their exact kitchen, put in the sink and hob cut outs and undertake any other bespoke finishing work required.