Treasured Tonewood

From the depths of the lakes and rivers of the Eastern Townships Region of Québec, salvaged virgin first growth (old growth) timber 700 to 1200 years old. Grown under a thick canopy of evergreen trees and competing for limited nutrients and sunlight in overgrown forests virgin hardwood species matured slowly accumulating up to 15 to 60 rings per inch. These environmental conditions contributed to the development of a finely grained, some being figured hardwoods of exceptional quality and beauty not found in today’s hardwoods.

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From the late 1700s through the early 1900s logging was a major export industry, second only to the fur trade throughout Upper and Lower Canada. Thick forests ranged from the waters edge, through the valleys and over the mountains awaiting the logger’s axe and cross cut saw. Thousands of lumberjacks chopped and sawed millions of trees into logs, hauled them to the shores of lakes and rivers to be dumped into the cold waters, boomed up and then floated to the many saw mills that were in the villages and towns that were on the water system. Many of these logs never reached their destination having sunk along the way or in their holding areas. It is estimated that as many as 20% settled to the bottom to be forgotten for over a century, untouched and perfectly preserved in the frigid waters of the region.

These unique woods that we salvage are reborn to be used for high end antique restorations and musical instruments. Every application becomes unique, as is the wood, bringing with it a part of history which can never be reproduced.

We have been getting some very favorable feedback from Luthiers that are using our Treasured Tonewood. They are telling us that "it creates instruments that have a very crisp and sustained sound".

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