I was planning to purchase local Malwa teak from Madhya Pradesh, my home state, because it is highly durable and has more oil content than regular teak. This makes it special and even sturdier than other woods, and it ages well. The main benefit of the oil content is that the wood rarely bends in humid conditions, and if it does, it usually returns to its shape once the weather changes. It does not require treatment. These were the reasons why I was considering it. However, the downside of teak is that it has a very long seasoning time of 10-15 days, and it is also heavier and more expensive than most woods, including walnut, which is considered exotic in India. Since everything was being delayed by this decision and teak would take too long to season, I ordered white ash wood, which is my usual favorite and a wood I have experience working with at Josmo. Since white ash is imported, it was pre-seasoned and had a 2-3 day delivery period. I could also potentially season it further to bring down the moisture content to the ideal percentage of 9-12%, even after making the pieces, since my uncle had a machine for that. Additionally, white ash is substantially lighter and easier to work with in terms of sanding and polishing. So, I ordered it as a second option in case teak did not work out. Meanwhile, I was also in touch with a customs duty officer and shipping managers to understand the complexities of the process. That is when one of the managers informed me that if I made the product with teak, I would need proper paperwork, authorization, and would definitely have to pay customs duty since teak wood comes under government jurisdiction. That's when my decision became crystal clear. I had to use white ash wood to make things simpler for me in the tight timeframe I had. However, I hope in the future to be able to use locally sourced Indian wood and reduce the carbon footprint.
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