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Over the past few years, there has been a lot of information about the different grades of teak and why people should / shouldn’t consider buying one or the other. All wood is classified by classifying several factors: hardness, color, and grain are among them. Indeed, the quality of genuine teak is such that even wood with a lower grade is better than A wood of another type. Grade A teak is harvested from the tree’s oldest growth, the innermost heartwood. This wood is the hardest, has the straightest grain and the purest color of teak.
Grade A teak is very rare due to the relatively small amount of heartwood that is present in any tree, as well as the fact that in order to develop the best heartwood, the teak tree needs to grow to maturity, which can lead to 100 years. Most of the teak imported into the United States is harvested from government-controlled sustainable teak plantations in Indonesia and Thailand. Most of the teak trees in these plantations grow to be 20 years old before harvest, making the true heartwood extracted from the trees scarce. In fact, true grade A teak is so rare that there are reports of some traders “dipping” their teak in an unknown substance, making the lower quality teak appear to be grade A.
Most of the teak on the market today is grade B or C. Grade B teak may have some slight color differences and a slightly curved grain. It is very hard (all teak is hard) and durable. Grade C teak has more variation in grain because it is harvested from a mixture of heartwood and sapwood. Color variations of grade C teak range from lighter shades to darker, richer shades of golden brown.
The biggest indicator that your wood may be submerged is that it is very uniform in color and may feel oily. For those who want grade A teak color and don’t want to pay grade A prices for their teak furniture, this may be an option. However, honestly, for those who plan to let their teak grow naturally, in about a year your teak benches, chairs or tables will resist the beautiful silver gray – grade A or grade C.
Obtaining teak is obtaining the best quality wood available that will last a lifetime and can be passed down from generation to generation.