Teak Qualities, Cheap Teak, and Counterfeits

We exclusively use "Grade A" teak wood for the manufacture of our teak furniture. Only this designation is an unambiguous qualification of the wood. Do not be misled by other designations such as "1A", "Premium Wood" or "S-Class". The term "Original Teak Wood" also says nothing at all about the quality of the teak wood used.

Teak "Grade A"

Teak Plank "Grade A"

The inner part is heartwood and is characterized by a uniform honey-brown color - near the bark, the white sapwood is clearly visible - this sapwood is not used in our furniture but is carefully removed by clever sawing and used to heat the drying kilns.

One cubic meter of "Grade A" teak wood currently costs approximately 3,500 US dollars.

We exclusively purchase "Grade A" teak from plantation cultivation at the state-owned plantation PT. Perum Perhutani of the Indonesian government. There, we obtain logs from 60 to 80-year-old teak trees, which have thus had enough time to form the extremely hard heartwood and to store oils and resins.

Only this wood quality possesses the legendary properties for which teak is so well known and for which it is so highly valued worldwide. Reputable suppliers, including us, use "Grade A" quality wood and do not produce garden furniture from "Grade C" wood.

Teak "Grade B"

Teak Plank "Grade B"

This plank consists almost exclusively of Grade B wood – identifiable by its darker, sometimes almost black color. The hardness is identical to that of Grade A wood, but the color is significantly darker.

Although Grade B wood is similarly hard to "Grade A" quality wood, due to the strong color variations and a slightly greater tendency to crack, it is generally not used for the production of high-quality garden furniture, but rather for carvings and furniture for indoor living spaces.

Teak "Grade C"

Teak Plank "Grade C"

is significantly softer, light yellow to white, contains considerably less oil and resin, and therefore does not last nearly as long as high-quality "Grade A" teak wood. It comes from the part of the trunk near the bark and is also known as sapwood or splint.

"Grade C" teak wood costs only about one-fifth of "Grade A" teak wood – around 1,400 US dollars per cubic meter – and is used to make many cheap furniture items, as well as the Madison fake shown in the pictures that follow.

Wood of this quality usually comes from smaller private plantations that want to quickly monetize their trees and therefore cut them down at the age of 6-10 years, even though they have barely formed any hard heartwood by then and practically contain no protective oils, resins, or rubber – the overseas customer doesn't immediately notice the difference after oiling...

Furniture made from this wood should therefore cost at most half of our furniture made from "Grade A" teak wood... re-examine the "super cheap" offers from many providers and you will find that, compared to our furniture, they are usually overpriced.

"Grade A" Teak Furniture

"Grade C" Teak Furniture

These pictures clearly show the differences. While furniture made from "Grade A" wood can achieve a beautiful surface just by sanding, furniture made from "Grade C" wood shows significant color variations.

Property	Teak "Grade A"	Teak "Grade C"
Color in untreated state	Honey brown - sometimes a little reddish, due to technical drying.	Whitish-yellow or highly variable in color
Surface Finish	Slightly shiny and completely smooth to the touch	Pale and always somewhat rough and porous.
Surface treatment	None needed - it is only finely sanded multiple times, otherwise completely natural. Teak "Grade A" is always offered untreated by reputable suppliers.	often treated with colored oil "as an added value" to conceal harsh color differences, the pale appearance, and the rougher surface. Sometimes also bleached with chemicals and then waxed to trim the appearance to "Grade A".
Durability class (from 1-5)	Class 1 best class)	Class 4 (moderate) - comparable to Douglas fir, larch, or pine
Durability according to DIN EN 350-2	Durability Class 1 – very durable withstands heat, rain, snow, and permafrost without any treatment. Easily resists pests, fungi, and bacteria.	Durability class 3-4 – moderately to slightly durable absorbs a lot of moisture untreated and therefore tends to swell, warp and crack heavily. To prevent this, continuous re-treatment is necessary.
Pest resistance	Best - without any treatment	Moderate - therefore requires continuous treatment and protection.
Fungal and mold resistance	Best - without any treatment	Moderate - must be regularly treated and protected.
Care requirements	None - semi-annual cleaning with soapy water is sufficient The furniture can be used normally again after approx. one hour.	Very high – must be thoroughly oiled 2-4 times a year (twice within 24 hours) After oiling, grease stains on all clothing and upholstery will still occur for many days.
Care costs and expenditure per year	approx. 5 Euros per year approx. 2 hours per year for bi-annual cleaning with soapy water	approx. 150 euros per year 15–20 hours per year for approx. 6–8 litres of teak oil per year
Care costs and expenditure within 5 years	approx. 25 Euros approx. 10 hours	approx. 750 Euros approx. 100 hours

Teak Qualities, Cheap Teak, and Counterfeits