Elm, a beautiful, elastic and hard wood

Since I have been following this new wave of carpenters, I notice that many are working with essences that are less used in the industry, but very beautiful and special. This is how I discovered The maple at Nicu Ivănescu, Chestnut at Nicolae Rosioru or the American walnut at Dragos Costache and Costi Iosif. Also at one of them (I can't remember exactly who it was) I first saw a piece of elm furniture. I knew about the strength of elm, I had heard of elm hearts and wagon wheels, but I had never seen how beautiful it is as furniture. I'm sure you'll be impressed too after reading the article.

As with other species, there are different types of elm around the world, each with its own special characteristics. There are several types of elm in our region, the most important being the lowland elm (Ulmus minor or procera), the white elm or velvet elm (Ulmus laevis) and the mountain elm (Ulmus glabra). The latter is the most common, both here and throughout Europe. In western Europe the lowland elm is more common, the English or Carpathian elm, as it is known. Elsewhere, however, the mountain elm is predominant, so it is the subject of the following lines.

The elm is a beautiful and phallic tree, delicate and strong at the same time. It can reach up to 25-35 m in height and a trunk diameter of 1.2-1.5 m. There was a time when, like the chestnut, elm trees were drying out on their legs and being attacked by an insect - the elm beetle - which destroyed them. Research has now found a solution to overcome the disease and a more resistant hybrid species (Dutch elm) has been developed. Now the elms have recovered and healthy young shoots have emerged from the old ones that were not killed by the disease.

In cross-section the sapwood and heartwood areas are well defined. The sapwood is light yellowish white and the heartwood is reddish brown, varying from very light to dark.

The elm's fibre is interwoven which makes it very resistant to splitting. The texture is uneven, the annual rings distinct and the medullary rays invisible to the naked eye. Inside the annual ring the pores in the earlywood area are large, rounded and arranged circularly in 1-2 rows, whereas those in the latewood are small and distributed throughout the mass.

The late wood takes the form of wavy strips which, when cut tangentially, give a specific fine zigzag pattern.

Mountain elm is a hardwood species, but there are species of elm that are softwoods. The distinction between them can be made by the way the pores are arranged. In the case of hardwoods, the pores in the early wood are arranged in 1 or 2 rows in a continuous well-defined circle. Softwoods have smaller earlywood pores arranged in several rows.

Elm wood is valuable and heavy. It is resistant to moisture, which is why in ancient times it was used to build pipes to carry water. Also, the first piers on which London Bridge was built were made of elm. It is a good wood for building and is considered very durable (like oak or pine) and can last naturally, untreated by chemicals, for 200 years after cutting. This durability combined with its resistance to moisture has long made it a favourite for boat building.

It is an elastic wood that can curve very gently to steam. Since the Middle Ages it has been used for the construction of shooting bows and is still used. Elm is also used to make hockey sticks.

Elm is used both as solid wood and as veneer. It is not very dimensionally stable, bends and is difficult to process because of the interwoven grain. However, it is very beautiful and is used to make decorative boxes, bowls and vases.

The furniture made of solid wood is very beautiful and if the cut is transversal, that elm zig zag creates a special effect. The excrescences on the stem make a similar pattern the sweeping palindrome.

Solid wood is used for flooring and stairs, and is appreciated for its hardness, beautiful design and warm colour.

Here not only furniture manufacturers appreciate it, but also other wood lovers who carve it and obtain beautiful things. The spoon below seems to me comparable to other famous sagas from other lands.

Ulmul inspires me as a discreet gentleman, with a pleasant appearance and special qualities, waiting to be discovered. Perhaps the fact that it has been a sickly species for a long time has also kept it in a shadow. Its special beauty will always prevail, however.