The Traditional Harvesting of Snakewood: A Step-by-Step Guide
Introduction to Snakewood
Snakewood is a rare and valuable type of wood with a distinctive pattern in the center, known as the heartwood. Finding a Snakewood tree in the forest is difficult, and it takes skilled experts to identify one. These experts can also judge if the tree is old enough and of high enough quality for harvesting.
Identifying the Right Tree
Snakewood trees have unique characteristics, but they’re not easy to spot without experience. The experts look for signs that tell them if a tree has enough mature heartwood, the dark core that has the striking patterns. This heartwood is what makes Snakewood valuable, while the surrounding sapwood is lighter and less desirable.
Traditional Harvesting Process
Using the Chainsaw: Unlike other types of wood, Snakewood is harvested using a careful, traditional approach. After identifying the tree, harvesters use a chainsaw to cut it down. This first cut reveals how much sapwood there is and how large the heartwood is. The bigger the heartwood, the more yield or weight of high-quality Snakewood the tree will produce.
Removing the Sapwood
Cutting into Sections: Once the tree is cut, it is divided into shorter, 1-meter sections to make it easier to handle. These sections are then prepared for the next steps.
Making Depth Rings: Next, they cut depth rings deep grooves in the sapwood without reaching too deeply into the heartwood. The depth rings are spaced 30-50 cm apart. These rings are an important part of the process, as they help remove the sapwood without damaging the valuable center.
Clearing Away the Sapwood by Hand
After making the depth rings, harvesters use an axe to chip away the sapwood carefully, revealing the clean heartwood underneath. Once the sapwood is removed, the 1-meter sections are almost ready as final Snakewood logs.
Transporting the Logs
Carrying to the Road: The cleaned logs are heavy and often need two people to carry each one by hand on the shoulders from the difficult forest floor to the main road.
Loading for Transport: Once they reach the road, the logs are loaded onto trucks for transport to the warehouse
Processing the Logs for Customers
At the warehouse, the logs are cut to meet customer specifications. They may be shaped into knife blanks, turning blanks, tonewood blanks, or other specific sizes and shapes as requested.
Understanding Yield and Value
A single Snakewood tree can yield anywhere from 800 to 2,000 kg, depending on the size of the heartwood. The wider the heartwood and the less sapwood there is, the more yield/weight the logs will produce. Finished Snakewood logs can range from 8 to 30 cm in diameter, with each tree producing around 25 logs.
Conclusion
Harvesting Snakewood is a careful, traditional process that involves skill, patience, and physical effort. Each step, from identifying the tree to transporting the logs, is done by hand, reflecting the value and beauty of this rare wood.
