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Oh, the cedar tree
If mankind in his infancy
had prayed for the perfect substance
for all materials and aesthetic needs,
an indulgent god could have provided nothing better.
- Bill Reid

Quick Links to: Western Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Port Orford Cedar

Western Red Cedar

Western Red Cedar's qualities of beauty, workability, strength, natural rot resistant oils, and sweet aroma, make it the perfect material for a natural wooden hot tub. We use the best quality cedar with true straight grain for our tubs. Red Cedar is plentiful and we support sound forest management practices - Much of our cedar is salvaged windfall and sustainably harvested by small family mills in the towns of Southeast Alaska.

Latin Name: Thuja Plicata, commonly known as Red Cedar or Giant Arbor-Vitae which means "tree of life." A fitting description for a tree which has been so important to human survival in the past and continues its importance in the present.

The cedar is an exquisite tree - the broad and buttressed base tapers quickly to a perfectly straight trunk dressed in gray-brown bark and gracefully sweeping boughs heavy with the feather like needles.

The cedar tree contributed perfect materials for early civilizations - soft straight grained wood - easily split, carved and beautiful to behold - it was easily fashioned into shelters, canoes, containers, masks, and tools. The inner and outer bark provided textiles strong and durable enough to make baskets that lasted for generations. The withes (branchlettes) provided strands for ropes that match the strength of modern materials. The roots when split into fine splines made exquisite baskets. No wonder the cedar tree is held in the highest respect by Northwest Natives. Today the same cedar tree is held in highest regard by boat builders, carvers, and craftspeople around the world.

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Alaskan Yellow Cedar

Yellow Cedar's qualities of yellow color, fine clear0 grain, beauty, workability, strength, natural rot resistant oils, and citrus aroma, make it the perfect material for natural wooden tubs. As the Japanese do, we use this wood for our ofuros. We select the best quality cedar with true straight vertical grain for our tubs. Yellow Cedar is plentiful in this area and we support sound forest management practices - much of our cedar is salvaged windfall and sustainably harvested by small family mills in the towns of Southeast Alaska.

Latin Name: Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, commonly known as Yellow Cedar, Yellow Cypress, or Alaska Cedar. The Yellow Cedar tree contributed perfect materials for early civilizations - tough straight grained wood - easily split, carved and beautiful to behold - it was fashioned into shelters, bows, paddles, containers, masks, and tools. The inner and outer bark provided textiles strong and durable enough to make blankets, baskets, hats and capes that lasted for generations. No wonder the cedar tree is held in the highest respect by Northwest Natives. In recent history the Yellow Cedar has been a prized boat building wood used for planking. Trees are often 1000 to 1500 years old.

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Hinoki, Port Orford Cedar

Port Orford Cedar is the American counterpart to the famous Japanese Hinoki wood. This is the wood made famous for use in temples, boat building and wooden baths in Japan. Port Orford Cedar is a little harder than Alaska Yellow Cedar. It has a pervasive aroma that many liken to lemon-citrus. Like the other cedars it contains oils that make it resistant to decay and allow it to stand up well in wet conditions.

The color is yellow/tan and it mellows nicely with time. Port Orford Cedar is limited in supply so the costs are higher.

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