From the shop

Where the wood comes from, and how to work it.

The Purpose Wood Co. blog covers provenance stories, buyer guides, and drop news, written by the people who run the saw. Learn where Chicago trees come down, how to choose a slab, what a built-in actually costs, and when the next drop lands.

Blog

· Featured

This walnut came down on Wabansia Ave

A black walnut on Wabansia Ave in Bucktown, Chicago split in a spring 2024 storm. Purpose Wood Co. salvaged it, kiln dried it to 7 percent, and milled it into slab lot PW-0421 and the June WALNUT drop. Same tree, tracked the whole way.

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Blog

· 2 min

What is urban salvaged wood?

Urban salvaged wood is lumber milled from trees removed in a city or suburb rather than logged from a forest. Reasons include storm damage, disease such as emerald ash borer, construction, and end of life. Salvaging keeps usable hardwood out of landfills and wood chippers.