Leadwood coffee table

By Darren Myburgh

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Designer

Darren Myburgh

Woodcrafters

Darren Myburgh and Gys Potgieter

Tree

Combretum Imberbe

Common name

Leadwood Tree

Leadwood coffee table

As leadwood is a protected species in South Africa, it is a rare find to work with such a large fallen slab. Particular care is taken to pay tribute to the grain and the natural beautiful shape of the wood. The table is naturally framed with yellow-tan colour around the darker charcoal-black, coarse texture and the three legs serve to enhance this age-old tree trunk with a floating effect.

DESIGNER

This young and inspiring designer studied industrial design at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. After completing his studies, Darren spent a year as an FGASA (Field Guide Association of South Africa) field guide – and this is where his love and appreciation for nature developed into a yearning to work with wood. He was destined to meet Gys Potgieter, who was soon fascinated and impressed with Darren’s passion for craftsmanship and design talent. This remarkable partnership in Kuni has realised Darren’s dream of designing unique, one-of-a-kind and high-end furniture.

Darren Myburgh

LEADWOOD COFFEE TABLES

Family: Combretaceae. Synonym: None. Other names: Elephant's Trunk; Hardekool

Our Leadwood coffee tables are shaped to pay tribute to the grain and the natural beautiful shape of the wooden slab. The table legs combine a contrasting material to create a modern, timeless design. They are finished in matt-sprayed varnish and Danish oil respectively.

THE TREE

The Leadwood Tree is a protected species and varies from a shrub to large tree. Some larger trees are estimated to be over 1 000 years old and can reach up to 20 meters. This is a slow growing tree and found from the southern regions of South Africa as far up as Tanzania. The bark is pale to dark grey and rough and blocky in appearance. Even the leaves are greyish green on both sides adding to the pale look of the tree. The Ovambo people from Namibia never pass a Leadwood without paying their respects, believing that the tree represents the great ancestor of all people and animals.

USING THE WOOD

Leadwood is extremely dense and is the only wood that will sink, not float, when dropped in water. The denisity of the wood makes it very strong and durable and was used in the past for railway sleepers, mine props and hoes. Although it is extremely difficult to work with, the wood is beautiful and very valuable for commercial use. It works extremely well when carving and doing inlay work.

WOOD PROPERTIES

Leadwood is greyish-brown to dark brown. The wood has a coarse texture and a straight to interlocked grain. The wood dries well although boards of 25 mm thickness take up to five months to air-dry. It is a durable wood and resistant to fungi and borer.

INTERESTING FACTS

The wood is very difficult to saw due to its hardness. It glues well, and can be polished and varnished to a high gloss finish.