DIFFERENT CUTS OF THE LOG – WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN
HOW A TREE IS CUT AFFECTS THE WAY YOUR GLASSES WILL LOOK
How the log is cut will make a big difference to the look of your frames. In short, a burr or burl wood will look very curly and flamboyant, quarter cut very straight grained, and a figured wood very striking. Here are the different cuts of the log and what they’re all about.
BURR OR BURL WOOD
Truth is, nobody really knows what causes a burr to form. It is basically a bacteria or ‘abnormality’ and is usually a result of some kind of stress on the tree. It grows mainly underground and so is usually discovered after the three is cut or dies, but does also grow on the trunk and branch of the tree. However, it produces something of incredible beauty which is highly sought after by all cabinet makers. A pair of glasses made form Walnut burr or any burr will look particularly elegant.
Rolls Royce, Bentley and other high end car manufacturers will normally use a burr for the dashboards and trims. They are of course much more expensive than all other cuts.
QUARTER SAWN – QUARTER CUT
Most woods are available as quarter sawn. This is simply the way the log is cut after is is felled, and is cut in such a way as to produce a very straight grain. Its is also a very expensive way to cut a log as there is a lot of wastage. However the very straight grain is the most stable cut, and although not important in the production of engineered eye wear, it is important in the manufacture of things like flooring and furniture.
CROWN SAWN – PLAIN SAWN
This is by far the most popular and cost effective way of cutting a log. However, it is not a particularly exciting cut to use in the production of eye wear as there is more often than not very little action going on in the grain for such a small item as glasses. However, if we do use crown sawn we only select woods that have a flamboyant grain pattern e.g Santos Rosewood, Macassar Ebony and Ziracote. All these woods have interesting crown sawn figuration so they are all suitable for the production of Campbell Marson glasses.
ALL FOR THE LOVE OF WOOD
A LIVING BREATHING GIANT OF NATURE
For thousand of years, we have used wood to enhance and enrich our lives. We have used wood in various applications of design and construction. Houses, boats, planes and musical instruments have all been made and continue to be made from wood.
There is a feel and beauty to wood that exists in no other material, and a performance that cannot be matched by any other natural product.
Stradivari’s Secret
STRADIVARIUS
The Stradivaris violin made around 300 years ago, is a unique musical instrument of uncompromising quality. However, the secret of the magical tonal quality, which cannot be replicated, lies only in one thing. The wood.
There is very little knowledge of the way Antonio Stradivarius treated the timbers used in his workshop, although deep analyses of the wood has discovered the presence of various mineral deposits, which suggests a particular technique used either in the workshop, or a by the foresters after logging. If this process was done by the foresters, then it would be fair to assume that the great tonal quality achieved may have been an accident. If it was done in the workshop, then it would make Antonio Stradivari a genius.
Church Of The Transfiguration
KHIZI POGHOST
Originally built in 1714, this Orthodox Russian Church made entirely from wood without the use of a single nail, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a 32 meter tall 150 year old monument to architectural genius, and was the brain child of a group of skilled Russian carpenters.
It is the tallest wooden structure in the world.
This giant of nature has breathed life into our world. We are both blessed and honoured to work with a natural resource of such beauty and magnitude. All for the love of wood.
1510- 1545
THE MARY ROSE
Built in 1510 The Mary Rose was estimated to have used over 600 oak trees in its construction. This 700 ton monster of the sea was a major battle ship in the English fleet, but was finally brought to rest by the French in 1545.
Between 1979 – 1982 a team of hundreds of experts from around the world helped to excavate the Mary Rose in one of the largest and most complicated recovery programs ever undertaken. This living breathing monument to wood can be seen in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Museum.
Cira 3000BC
HISTORIC OAK
Excavated from river beds in East Europe, this historic bog oak has been carbon dated to 4500 years old. From years of being buried in peat under the river bed, the wood has an incredibly deep colour and unmistakable texture and feel to it. Much of it is almost pure black all the way through. It has been sliced into veneers exclusively for Campbell Marson and they are available in a small selection of frames.