As with all natural exotic wood products, there will be some slight variation in color, texture, and finish color. This is mainly due to the underlying natural wood tones which create a truly unique, one-of-a-kind, functional work of art. Products could have visible marks from tools used, patches from small repairs, knot holes, natural inclusions, and/or wormholes. There will be various separations or cracks on your piece when it arrives. These naturally occurred as the wood was dried and shrank. Over time, some continued shrinkage may accentuate existing separations or generate new ones. This does not compromise the structural performance or integrity of the wood and is considered inherent to the natural beauty of the design. These variations are not considered flaws and are not acceptable reasons for returns.
All of our products are natural and handmade. Therefore sizes are just an approximation but are generally within plus or minus 1/4″. We cannot guarantee the products are perfectly square or flat. We do create useable and reasonably flat surfaces while highlighting the natural wood inclusions and hand-carved surfaces. We do not fill in or repair carving marks, or natural inclusions like knots and branch growths. Instead, we sand to blend them in and assure smooth edges and surfaces that are useable. On some products, we will use the same wood to fill in old worm holes and such.
The wood is from a tropical climate, and like all wood, is still “alive”. It will change some over time based on your climate, and whether you place the piece in direct sunlight, or by a heating or cooling source, like in front of an air vent. Small cracks may appear but this is normal and will stop occurring over time. Of course, if a major crack develops that threatens the structural integrity of the product, we will allow an exchange.
For Monkey Pod wood (Samanea saman aka Acacia, Rain Tree, and other names depending on the country of origin) the heartwood color ranges from light reddish beige to dark reddish browns (some with black swirls). The color will vary from the pictures depicted for every single piece. Due to humidity, the wood ages in front of your eyes as small cracks may appear in the grain over time depending on the climate where you live. It’s a small slice of life transported straight into your home. Direct sunlight can cause more checking (cracking) on the ends, but simply rub in a naturally neutral color wood oil to highlight the beauty of Monkey Pod wood!
