Recycled Indonesian Hardwoods Are Coming to Thor’s Hammer
March 2026
We love recycled Australian hardwoods for their strength, versatility and history. Working with reclaimed timber allows us to give great material the second life it deserves, while doing our part for the environment.
But there are other remarkable recycled timbers beyond Australia that we rarely have the opportunity to work with … until now.
Samples of Ulin and Teak recycled timber arriving at Thor’s Hammer
Thor with one of the founders of Wood be Good Tim McInerny
First Container Load Arriving In April
Thor’s Hammer is excited to announce that we are expecting a shipping container of reclaimed timber from Indonesia. In partnership with Wood be Good, the shipment features two exceptional hardwood species: Ulin (Ironwood) and Teak.
These timbers have been salvaged from old buildings, bridges, wharves and boats throughout Indonesia, carefully reclaimed and restored before beginning a new life here in Australia.
The Ulin is arriving machined into extra wide decking boards, and the Teak has been made into wide solid timber flooring and square dressed boards for furniture making. The container is expected to arrive in Canberra in mid-April 2026, and we are now opening registrations of interest for anyone keen to secure some of these exotic but exceptional recycled timber species.
Launch Event
We will also be hosting a launch event at Thor’s Hammer, Thursday 30 April 2026 where you can learn more about the important work Wood be Good is doing in Indonesia and see samples of the timber in person. (Full details coming soon.). Register Now for our free event.
“This shipment is the result of months of careful planning between Thor’s Hammer and Wood be Good — the first reclaimed Indonesian hardwood to land in Canberra, and we’re proud that Thor’s Hammer is the home for it. Every species, every format and every dimension was chosen deliberately, with the Australian market in mind.”
About Wood be Good
Wood be Good is a business on a mission to create meaningful social and environmental impact by giving reclaimed Indonesian hardwood timber a second life in Europe and Australia.
Through sustainable sourcing, expert restoration and direct distribution, Wood be Good creates value from existing timber resources while helping address climate change and deforestation.
The company is built on a simple but powerful idea: the best timber for the future may already exist in the past.
Wood be Good sources reclaimed hardwood throughout Indonesia, authenticates it and prepares it for reuse as something beautiful and lasting.
Their long-term goal is to help create a system where reclaimed timber becomes trusted and desirable enough to reduce pressure on old-growth forests. Over time, this creates space to reinvest in forest regeneration and develop genuine partnerships with local communities, leaving forests, communities and ecosystems better than they were found.
You can learn more about the company through our Meet the Maker interview with Wood be Good founder Tim McInerny.
The Timber Species Arriving
Let’s take a closer look at the two beautiful timber species arriving in the first shipment.
Ulin (Ironwood)
Ulin is a native Indonesian hardwood renowned for its incredible density, durability and termite resistance. Often referred to as Ironwood, it is a Class 1 durability timber and is widely prized for marine, outdoor and structural applications.
Ulin trees grow exceptionally slowly, maturing over hundreds of years and reaching heights of more than 30 metres. This slow growth produces an extremely dense cellular structure — so dense that Ulin famously sinks in water.
Once harvested, the timber is incredibly long-lasting, often performing for 100 years or more in outdoor environments.
Due to historical over-exploitation, Ulin is considered a vulnerable species, which makes reclaimed material an ideal way to continue enjoying its remarkable properties without harvesting new trees. Reclaimed Ulin is coming from salvaged house cladding, jetty and bridge timbers.
Aesthetically, Ulin is equally impressive. The heartwood ranges from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown when freshly cut and gradually ages to a rich silvery brown or almost black. This natural colour variation adds depth and character to architectural applications.
Ulin sample boards at the forefront, reddish brown to almost black colour palette.
Teak
We rarely see recycled Teak in Australian salvage projects, which is why we’re particularly excited about this shipment. The only significant load we have ever received in over 30 years, was the CSIRO Plant Science Labs workbenches.
Teak is highly valued for its unique balance of properties. It is durable, stable and naturally water-resistant, yet comparatively lightweight and easy to work with. The timber features a clean, straight grain and a warm, even light-brown colour that suits a wide range of interior applications.
Historically, much of the world’s old-growth teak was logged out during the mid-20th century. Teak was the perfect timber for boat building, and then it also became widely used for mid-century furniture. While plantation-grown teak now exists, sourcing new teak still raises several challenges.
Transporting newly harvested teak from plantations in South and Southeast Asia can carry a significant carbon footprint. Illegal logging also remains an issue in some regions, making the true origin of newly sourced teak difficult to verify.
This is where Wood be Good’s approach makes a difference.
By salvaging reclaimed teak from reputable sources, Wood be Good ensures the timber’s origins can be verified while giving existing material a second life. The team researched hundreds of operators before selecting a small number of trusted partners who meet their sourcing standards.
Shipping reclaimed timber also has a significantly lower environmental impact than harvesting, processing and transporting newly logged old-growth timber.
Teak’s warm light brown colour shines through on the sample boards.
What Can the Timber Be Used For?
Ulin Applications
Ulin is particularly well suited to decking, where its strength, density and durability allow it to perform exceptionally well in harsh outdoor environments.
The container includes both rustic decking and smooth-finished decking boards. The Ulin decking has been made from old old bridge boards and structural timbers. The rustic decking has been machined with the old rough sawn face of the timbers retained, giving a darker more rustic appearance and a textured surface for extra grip>. The smooth decking has been fully planed back like a new board.
A standout feature is the board width. These Ulin boards measure 145mm wide, significantly wider than our standard recycled decking boards which are typically 83mm wide.
The boards also come in generous 2.4 to 4 metre lengths (with 85% above 3m long), providing excellent coverage and a striking visual result.
While Ulin is ideal for decking, it can also be used for other outdoor applications such as external cladding or architectural features where a consistent timber finish for your outdoor project is desired.
Teak Applications
The recycled Teak arriving in this shipment is ideally suited for flooring & furniture making.
Like the Ulin decking boards, the Teak flooring also arrives in generous 145mm widths. For comparison, our remilled recycled flooring typically comes in a standard width of 78mm, making these boards nearly double the width.
Wide recycled Teak flooring of this size is genuinely scarce.
In addition to flooring, we have also secured a small quantity of Teak suitable for furniture making. From the first container we expect to produce around 5–10 custom furniture pieces.
From our experience working with Teak salvaged from the Black Mountain CSIRO Labs, we know there is strong interest in furniture made from this beautiful timber species. If you’ve been dreaming of a piece of recycled Teak furniture, we recommend getting in touch with our team to discuss your project.
Join Us and See It for Yourself
Registration is now open for our launch event at Thor’s Hammer on Thursday 30 April 2026.
Details are still being finalised, but the evening will give you the chance to:
• See and handle samples of the recycled Ulin and Teak
• Hear from Wood be Good founder Tim McInerny
• Learn more about the sourcing and restoration process
• Meet the Thor’s Hammer team & other guest speakers (to be announced).
To celebrate this new partnership, we are planning an Indonesian-themed evening with appropriate drinks and nibbles.
If you’d like to learn more before the timber arrives, feel free to have a chat with our design and sales team or make an online enquiry today.