Precious Wood Luneville Hook

Lunéville Hook — Crafted with Karelian Birch

Handmade from premium treated Karelian (Curly) birch, this Lunéville hook is both functional and beautifully unique. It’s built to fit needles up to size 90 and comes with one needle in size 70. The handle is carefully hand-carved for a comfortable and smooth grip. Each hook takes an entire week to craft, reflecting true attention to detail and artistry.

The Beauty of Karelian Birch

Karelian birch is famous for its stunning, naturally patterned grain — a mesmerizing dance of flame-like curls and intricate waves. Known for its strength and density, this birch resists drying out, rot, and cracking, and it rarely splinters. Because of its hardness, working with Karelian birch is a real challenge, making each finished piece both exceptionally durable and highly valued.

Unlike most woods, Karelian birch is traded by weight, not volume. It’s also nearly impossible to grow artificially — only about 30-40% of saplings inherit its distinctive traits. You can’t even assess the wood’s true quality until the tree reaches 7–10 years of growth, which makes every piece all the more precious.

The Preparation Process

Before carving, the wood undergoes a meticulous treatment in a chamber filled with a special solution. This process recreates the natural aging that happens when wood rests underwater for centuries. The result is a material that doesn’t dry out or crack and can be polished to a brilliant gloss. Its density even makes it sink in water — proof of its incredible solidity.

Care and Patina

The hook’s fixators are made from bronze, which may darken over time. While more resistant to oxidation than brass, bronze still reacts with the natural ammonia in our skin. The extent of this darkening varies from person to person, giving each piece a one-of-a-kind patina that many find beautifully vintage.

To restore the shine, gently polish the bronze with a cotton pad and a dab of toothpaste, automotive polish, or citric acid. With care, your Lunéville hook will remain both a timeless tool and a small work of art.