Finding Hardwood Online
I’ve been looking for a local saw mill that will sell me a veneer-grade red or white Oak log for green wood chair making. After doing a little bit of searching, I happened upon the Amana Shops. The Amana Shops is the online store for the Amana Colonies a popular tourist destination in eastern Iowa.
Buying hardwood (especially exotics) online has become more and more popular in the last few years. Finding a good source for cocobolo, paudauk, and even spalted maple or black cherry, often means making a patient, diligent search until you find an importer or saw mill that specializes in these products. I’ll guarantee one thing, you won’t find Bubinga or Purpleheart at the local big box. So going online to find what you’re looking for definitely has its place.
Sometimes though, it can be hard to find good, reputable suppliers who are willing to work with you. That’s why I’m glad I’ve found the Amana Shops. They’ve been real easy to work with.
I’ve lived less than 100 miles from the Amana Colonies for most of my life and I didn’t realize the Amana Shops even existed until I ran across them while searching for local hardwood suppliers at Woodfinder.
Note: I’m listing serveral other sources for online hardwood suppliers below. (Links to all of these suppliers and more can be found at Woodfinder. Be sure to mention them if you end up buying from one of these suppliers.)
Amana Forestry
Larry Gnewikow, forestry manager for Amana, is a graduate of Iowa State University and has worked for the last 25 years overseeing the growth and development of Iowa’s largest privately-owned forest. Larry has put me onto some good pricing for white oak logs and after visiting their website (and with Larry), I’ve also found out a little more about their hardwood for sale.
Larry says they regularly work with buyers who have special needs and they’re now able to ship hardwoods to anywhere in the country. They currently list red oak, quartersawn white oak, cherry, locust, and spalted soft maple harvested and kiln-dried from their own forests. They also offer Iowa-grown walnut for sale. The prices are reasonable, and for simplicity’s sake, they offer 7 and 10 board foot bundles with maximum lengths of around 32″. But, Larry says they’ll work with anyone who has specific requirements or needs larger quantities.
Being one of the few green wood chair makers in Iowa, it’s been a slow process finding the right supplier for oak logs. But now, thanks to Woodfinder and Amana Shops, I’ve found several good online sources for hardwood lumber should I ever have the need.