Natural Edge or Live Edge Tables are Dining/Kitchen Tables or even Coffee Tables and Benches where the board's edge has the bark removed with what's under the bark left natural.
Most hardwood lumber is processed in large mills with the edges cut straight.
Most Live Edge boards are available only from small family operated mills where the hands on, time consuming work to harvest, process and dry the lumber is done. Because of the extra time that is involved in processing, Live Edge Boards are generally more expensive than a straight cut board. For many the extra expense is well worth the extra cost as Live Edge boards exude a look of natural rustic beauty that you just don’t get with a straight cut board.
Kiln Dried versus Air Dried Live Edge Tables
All the Live Edge boards that we use in our furniture is kiln dried to 6 - 8% moisture content to prevent warping and cracking. Some custom furniture makers use Live Edge boards that have only been air dried.
Air dried boards will warp and crack in our climate.
Live Edge Table Top Options
Our Live Edge Tables can be made using a single wide board for the top.
Or they can be made using two boards cut off the tree next to each other. This is called Bookmatching.
Bookmatched boards are cut next to each other from the same tree and when opened like a book, the grain and knots etc. mirror one another.
We can also piece together a Live Edge Table top with two narrow live edge boards and fill in the middle of the top with straight cut boards. This is the least expensive way to order a table with a Live Edge top.