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Better late than never.
(lemmy.nz)
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this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2026
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i think this is also why conifers are so popular for timber these days, grows much faster. AFAIK something like pine takes maybe 40 years until it can be harvested.
40 year mature conifers also have completely different properties and is subpar for the things oak is great for. A conifer won't work as a mast for example. Fast grown confiers will rot like crazy.
They work well enough for situations where they are protected from the elements, which is why they are used in construction. But an old house made from slow growth, espicially a lot of hardwoods, won't instantly rot when water gets in.
Acorn to Arabella made their mast from spruce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGac8Xa-i8A (skip to 1:53)
I don't really know what I'm talking about, but I think an oak mast is more likely to break in a storm because it's stiffer.
I should have said for warships to be extra clear as if you make something small enough even balsa wood works. Also, oak holds up better in a wet and salty environment.
They used oak because it was proven to work across centuries. They took down sails during storms to avoid damage to the mast, which would happen no matter what wood is used.
Douglas fir are historically popular for masts as well because they grow so straight and tall.
Spruce is a great material for masts because it’s light and strong. Fir might be appropriate, too. Avoid pine, it’s knotty and rots faster.
Check out “daisugi,” a Japanese pollarding technique that produces usable timber even faster (basically having one rootstock grow multiple main trunks). IIRC in the 1700’s they were harvesting pine every 25 years
However, it ain’t no replacement for oak. Does smell a lot better, though