As I mentioned at the end of part 1 of this tale, French oak has been selected for this commission.

And, as I also mentioned, I sourced it from Jean Hetier of The Art of Wood.

He stocks numerous grades of oak, including boules, as well as elm, walnut beech and maple.

He carries oak up to 600mm wide including 18mm for drawer bases and backs.

I was able to select 'bookmatched' boards for........

........matching the grain........

............for panels.

I have not been able to locate timber to these specifacations for years and, outside of my own brief efforts as a timber processor, never within Ireland.

So, before I continue with 'the history' I thought I should say that, in my view, Jean's stocks represent a very valuable resource for furniture makers.