Enduring Leadwood Live Edge Coffee Table (33.07" x 31.50" x 3.54") with Modern X-Base

🌳 Hardekool

Command attention in your living space with this extraordinary Leadwood Live Edge Coffee Table, meticulously crafted by African Live Edge Furniture. With a substantial top measuring approximately 33" x 31.5" and a dramatic 3.5" thickness, this piece showcases one of Africa's most legendary timbers.

The slab's deep, rich, dark brown heartwood contrasts beautifully with its pale yellow sapwood, all while the authentic live edge preserves the raw, organic contours of the tree. This heavy, durable top is supported by a sleek, modern "X" shaped metal base, which provides a contemporary, geometric balance to the wood's rugged, natural beauty. This is a true heirloom piece built to last for generations.

The History & Heritage of Leadwood Wood (Hardekool)

Leadwood, known locally in Afrikaans as Hardekool (meaning "hard coal"), is renowned as one of the hardest and heaviest woods in the world—so dense that a dry piece will sink in water.

• A Protected African Legend: Found from South Africa north to Tanzania, Leadwood (Combretum imberbe) is an incredibly slow-growing species, with some trees living for over 1,000 years. It is now a protected species in South Africa, making timber from licensed, legally harvested sources, like this, especially valuable and rare.

• The Wood of Endurance: Historically, its extreme density and incredible resistance to termites and rot made it the material of choice for railway sleepers and mine support trusses across Southern Africa. It was even used to make hoes before metal implements became available.

• Cultural Significance: Its traditional name, Hardekool, comes from the fact that it burns slowly and intensely, providing long-lasting coals. In traditional cultures, its lime-rich ash was famously used as a whitewash or a type of toothpaste.

This handcrafted Leadwood coffee table is an investment in durability, a piece of living history, and a stunning example of nature's finest art.