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Oak staves



ORIGIN OF THE WOOD 
The oak used for the manufacture of staves comes from strictly controlled, sustainable forests in southwest Hungary. The trunks are selected individually at the felling site and they must be healthy, straight and have no branches. On arrival at the sawmill, each piece is registered and given a code for the entire manufacturing process. This means we always know the exact origin of each stave, the date when the tree was felled and the date of the manufacturing process. 

MEDIUM/FINE GRAIN OAK 
The species used to make the staves are Quercus robur and Quercus petraea. Under the climatic conditions of the region, these trees grow slowly, providing hard, dense and durable wood. These magnificent trees are cut when they are approximately 110-130 years old. Thanks to their slow growth, the rings (yellow sapwood and dark brown heartwood) are fine with 4 to 7 rings per centimetre.

QUALITY
The wood used to make the staves is top quality and 100% free from knots and sapwood. Strict controls at every stage of production ensure that the staves are perfectly healthy and void of any defect in the wood.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS
The key to manufacturing staves is the process used to split the wood. Oak trunks are opened with the help of a wedge to maintain the natural grain, keep the fibres intact and obtain boards that have zero tension. With European oaks, which have a fairly porous structure, it is the only way to guarantee the integrity of the timber. Wood-splitting is a very expensive process because of the large amount of wood wasted: approximately 20% of the raw materials can be used.

DRYING
Drying the staves in the open air has many benefits: the wood gradually loses its moisture, the remaining tension in its fibres is released, the rain washes away part of the tannins, the microbial activity makes the bitter substances milder... The curing of the oak is very complex and delicate and there are many factors to consider: temperature variations, the amount and regularity of rainfall, hours of sunshine, the way in which it is stacked, the wind, etc. We consider it ideal for the master coopers to perform their own drying process based on their experience, traditions and local climate. However, we occasionally offer wood that has been seasoned naturally in the open air for 12 and 24 months (to order)

MEASUREMENTS 
At present, almost all our production focuses on manufacturing staves for 225- and 300-litre barrels. 
Lateral staves: 95+/105+ cm 
Bottom staves: between 45 and 80 cm 
Staves width: 6-14 cm 
Stave thickness: 31 mm 
Other measurements: please contact us
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