Where does Jacamar wood come from? A deep dive into our European timber supply chains
A raw material selected with high standards
At Jacamar, the origin of the wood is never a secondary consideration. It determines the stability, durability, and authenticity of the fronts we manufacture. Each species comes from European sawmills committed to sustainable forest management.
Carpathian oak: our primary species
Our oak primarily comes from the forests of Transylvania and the Carpathians in Romania. These slow-growing mountain forests produce oak with particularly tight and dense fibers, offering superior dimensional stability compared to plain oak. This density allows for regular veneers with a distinct and consistent grain.
The proximity of our workshop in Brașov to these supply chains allows us to select wood upstream, lot by lot, with our regular suppliers. We do not order from a catalog.
Manual, not industrial, selection
Each batch of veneer we receive is visually inspected in the workshop by Luc Deniel. Sheets with structural defects, excessive color variations, or inconsistent grain are discarded. This manual sorting ensures that the fronts for the same order have real visual homogeneity.
It is this level of control that distinguishes artisanal carpentry from industrialized production.
Other species available on request
Oak accounts for the majority of our production. We occasionally work with other European species for specific projects. Each off-catalog request involves a direct discussion with our workshop to assess feasibility and consistency with our manufacturing process.
The traceability chain we uphold
Our veneer suppliers work with certified or sustainably managed forests. We prioritize local sawmills within a reasonable radius of our Transylvanian location. This approach reduces the logistical footprint and strengthens our local roots.
This is not a marketing argument. It's simply how we work as a small business that knows its suppliers.
Why European wood instead of Asian or exotic wood
Exotic or Asian wood may be cheaper to purchase. However, it presents risks regarding stability in European climates (relative humidity, temperature fluctuations), making it unsuitable for durable kitchen fronts. European oak, acclimatized to our conditions, is objectively the best choice for a front that needs to last twenty years in a French kitchen.
It is for these technical reasons, as much as for our geographical roots, that we only work with European species.
Luc Deniel, founder of Jacamar
