Handmade Oak Tables - What We Do
Steve Baker's handmade oak tables are practical and finely crafted wooden works of art. The oaken tables are designed and made by hand with the following properties in mind.
The tables are made from good oak that is patiently seasoned. These oak tables are durable and solid and will last a very long time. Whereas cars and property can go down in value, fine handmade oak tables will maintain or increase in value with age.
Our oak tables are made with your needs and comfort in mind. Whether they are destined for your dining room, kitchen or hallway - our tables can create a natural focus for gathering and socialising.
The term "table" originally comes from the Latin word tabula, "a board, plank, flat piece". In Late Latin, tabula took over the meaning previously reserved to mensa (preserved in Spanish mesa "table"). In Old English, the table replaced bord. Board as it is more commonly used is to provide table-fare or food - a meaning that is found in expressions such as 'room and board', 'boarding schools' and 'boarders'.
Oak wood has a density of about 0.75 g/cm³ (it floats), great material strength and hardness. It is very resistant to insect and fungal attack because of its high tannin content and has very attractive grain markings. Thus oak wood has been prized since the Middle Ages for use in the construction of fine furniture.
Well-crafted, handmade oak tables last a long time and increase in value. They form key gathering areas and are status symbols in their own right. This not based on ostentation but the genuine value of fine oak furniture. The oaken tables themselves become treasured family heirlooms seasoned with many happy memories of time spent at or around these magnificent yet humble creations.
The designs of these handmade tables are based on classic principles that have stood the test of time. High-quality oak, careful design, solid construction, diligent oiling and waxing all make for an aesthetic and beautifully finished table that can define the room. A non-descript room becomes a dining room, kitchen, hallway, workplace or office. Almost every household and family would benefit from a fine oak table to dine and socialise, should they be fortunate to have one.