Sheesham Wood
As professional furniture manufacturers and suppliers, we like to be at the forefront of the crafts methods and materials which help us produce the finest furniture and we especially like to educate our customers in these methods and the materials we use. For every commonly used wood such as pine and oak, which many people are aware of, there is also an "up and coming" or soon to be popular wood and in this case, it is sheesham wood.
"Dalbergia Sissoo", also known as sheesham wood, is one of the largest and most useful sources of timber in India and as a result of positive buzz and an admiration for the furniture from that regions, it is rapidly becoming popular in the UK. We love working with sheesham wood because it is durable, strong and is unlikely to warp or split.
From what we're hearing from our customers, they love sheesham wood too for the same reasons as us, but also because it can be polished to a high standard, finishes to an extremely high standard and has a unique colouring which is easily drawn out by waxing.
The Origins
Sheesham (which is also known as Shishan, Shisham, Sissoo or Sisu, depending on the areas and dialect of origin) is a hardwood tree which is grown throughout the Sub-Himalayan region. It is found in many parts of India, Nigeria and Punjab.
Its colour ranges from a golden to a deep brown and it features darker streaks which lend it particularly well to cabinet and ornament making, as the colours make a stunning and eye-catching contrast.
Although the tree has many flowers and is a good source of honey, the flowers are only lightly and delicately attached and this can mean that they fall from the tree before the bees are able to fully source all of the pollen. When they do manage to extract honey, it is amber and strong flavoured, making it a local delicacy.
Popularity and Other Uses
Part of the reason for its popularity in its native India is that it is able to resist decay and termite activity and it originally became popular in the region for carving and engraving.
As word of its properties spread, it became popular for a huge variety of uses including marine and aircraft manufacture, as fuel for heating and cooking, ornamental turnery and the manufacture of sporting goods to name but a few.
