Have a question that isn’t answered below? E-mail us at faq@earlywooddesigns.com.
What is earlywood?
In climates where large changes in weather occur, large changes in tree growth rates also occur. When water and sunshine are abundant, trees grow lightly colored, porous, and thin walled cells called earlywood. When temps are cold and dry, trees put on a layer of darker, dense, thick walled cells called latewood. Both types serve a purpose for the tree. It’s the latewood that gives wood the majority of its strength, and it is the porous earlywood that delivers water and nutrients to the tree. When you count the growth rings on the cross section of a tree, you’re really counting how many times the earlywood/latewood cycle has taken place.
Are the woods that you use food safe?
Yes; every single one of them. Our solid wooden kitchen utensils are 100% safe for you and your family, no matter what age. We would not even consider selling them if they weren’t.
Why is EARLYWOOD stamped on my utensils?
Every one of our utensils and cutting boards get stamped with “EARLYWOOD” before they leave the shop. Unfortunately, the Earlywood stamp wasn’t quite ready for production at the time that the product photos were taken. Look at it this way… when your Earlywood utensils are ready for replacement (in about 50 years), you’ll be able to remember where you got them!
I didn’t order this super cute little wood care thing… so why did I get it?
We get more questions about how to treat wooden utensils than we get about anything else. We recognize that knowledge gap and therefore try to make it as easy as possible for you to take good care of your wooden utensils. Follow the instructions on the packet and you will be off to a good start. Go to our wood care section for more detailed information.
How many trees has Earlywood planted so far with their 100 to 1 guarantee?
100. We could have waited until we used an entire trees-worth of wood before we planted 100 trees in its place, but since our products are so small, it takes us a long time to use an entire tree’s worth of wood, we decided to plant the 100 before we used the tree. When we actually do use an entire tree’s worth of wood, we’ll plant the next 100. We are serious about reforestation. If you are too, go to www.plantabillion.org/ and help out right now!
Why do you use mineral oil in your Earlywood Oil?
We like mineral oil for a lot of reasons. Mineral oil:
- is 100% food safe
- soaks in to your product extremely well
- never goes rancid like food oils (olive, sesame, walnut)
- is inexpensive
- is completely odorless
- stores for decades without any degradation in look or safety or performance.
- never dries (so you won’t end up with a sticky coating on your utensil after multiple treatments)
- does not form a hard coating that will chip off into your food
- enhances, not changes the natural color of wood
- is 100% non-toxic and can be applied with bare hands (which conveniently moisturizes)
Why are my utensils fuzzy?
It is common for new wooden utensils to have fuzz (it is actually raised grain) after their first or second exposure to water. This can easily be eliminated by a quick rub with the Scotch-Brite pad that came in your treatment packet (see above). You should only have to do this once or twice, then your utensils will be fuzz free for life!
What is your warranty policy?
Earlywood is quality, but every now and then we accidentally let a less than perfect utensil squeeze through our quality control processes. If you end up with one of those products, contact us and we will send you a replacement at our expense. Slight damage from normal wear and tear is to be expected of wooden products and is not covered under warranty.
What is your return policy?
If you find yourself unhappy with the size, look, feel, or quality of the Earlywood utensils that you ordered, simply send them back to us at:
(UPS)
Earlywood Returns
711 S. Adams
Red Lodge, MT 59068
or
(USPS)
Earlywood Returns
PO Box 1741
Red Lodge, MT 59068
We will credit you for the returned product using the same method of payment that you used to purchase them.
