When a tree or log is transformed from its natural round shape into a timber with roughly flat sides, this is called a hand hewn. Before lumberyards and sawmills were common, old-world craftsmen used axes, skill, and effort to turn fallen logs into timbers. This leaves hand hewn axe marks and old original patina on all four sides, creating an incredible aesthetic for your project. Hand hewn beams often have mortise and tenon pockets, which is how the beams were assembled with each other whether is was a barn, warehouse or other historic structure.

For more information on hand hewn beams, checkout the following articles from our blog!
Signs That Reveal a Hand Hewn Beam
Hand Hewn or Rough Sawn Beams?

The skip-planed finish is achieved by running the reclaimed barn wood through a planer set to only remove the high points, “skipping” over the low points. By doing this, it allows the reclaimed barnwood to keep even more of its authentic texture, character, and history.

A normal barn wood mantel finish is achieved by running the reclaimed barnwood through a planer adjusted to a lower setting to remove not only the high points but also the rest of the woods skin in order to achieve a smoother and more uniformed finish. Even with this smoother finish, you will still get variations from natural checking, knots, nail holes, hand hewing, circle saw markings and worm holes.

If you have any questions about our different types of reclaimed wood fireplace mantels or beams, please don’t hesitate to contact us so we can help.