Why coffee wood chews differ in colour and grain
Coffee wood chews are cut from natural wood, so no two pieces share the same colour, grain or shape. Light and dark streaks, knots and bends are normal features of the material, not defects. A defect is something that changes the chew itself: a deep crack along the whole stick, a hollow core, or a size outside what your order states.
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Where the variation starts
Our coffee wood is sourced from mature Robusta trees (20+ years) at the end of their productive life, cleared to make way for new planting, a byproduct of the natural farm renewal cycle in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
It is natural wood, and we do not try to make it look uniform. No chemicals are added in production. What you see is the colour and grain of the wood itself.
What we remove, and what we leave
Before the wood becomes a chew, we take the bark off, use the core of the wood, and cut off cracked or decayed ends. Sections with borer damage, hollows, bends or deep cracks are set aside.
What stays is the character of the wood: the grain lines, darker streaks running through lighter wood, small knots and the natural curve of the wood. Those are the features your customers see, and they differ on every piece.
Normal variation or a defect?
The line we draw is simple. Appearance can vary. The chew itself should match the order.
| You notice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Lighter and darker pieces in one bag | Natural colour difference between pieces |
| Dark streaks, swirls or small knots | Grain of the wood |
| A curved or slightly uneven stick | The natural shape of the wood |
| Length or diameter a little off the nominal size | Within tolerance if inside the ranges below |
| A deep crack along the whole stick, a hollow core, or the wrong size against your purchase order | A real defect: film it and tell us |
The accepted crack level is written on the proforma invoice before you pay a deposit. If real defects go beyond that level, we make up the part beyond it, free, in your next shipment. Film the cartons being opened; the video is what we need.
How much can size vary?
Size tolerance is measured in centimetres, not as a percentage. Length can vary by about 0.5–1 cm. Diameter tolerance depends on the size: XS and S 0.3–0.5 cm, M and L 0.5–1 cm, XL and XXL 1.5–2.5 cm.
Climate plays a part too. Wood expands in heat and shrinks in cold, and a difference of up to 0.5 cm is normal; the longer the stick, the more it moves. After the vacuum bag is opened, the wood slowly balances with the air around it, which is also normal. The full size table is in the coffee wood size guide.
Use the approved sample as your reference
When we check goods, the reference is the sample agreed with you, either a physical sample or one approved from photos and video. Our basic QC has five steps: raw material, in-process, semi-finished, final product and pre-shipment.
If appearance matters to your brand, say so when you approve the sample, and keep that sample. It gives both sides the same picture of what the order should look like. What to look at when samples arrive is covered in what to check in natural chew samples.
How to explain it to your customers
Tell buyers before they order that every piece is different. A listing photo of one neat stick sets a different picture from a parcel holding a darker, curved one. A few habits help:
- Show more than one piece in your photos, with different shades side by side.
- Say it plainly in the listing: each chew is natural coffee wood, and colour, grain and shape differ from piece to piece.
- Give size as a range, not a single number.
- Add the usual care notes: supervise the dog while it chews, remove any fragments, and take the chew away once it is worn small.
Ready-made wording for shop staff is in explaining natural variation to customers, and photo tips are in product photos for natural chew listings.
Questions about colour and grain in coffee wood
Why are some coffee wood chews darker than others?
Each chew is cut from natural wood, and colour differs from piece to piece.
Is a dark streak in the wood a defect?
No. Streaks, swirls and small knots are the grain of the wood. A deep crack along the whole stick, a hollow core or the wrong size against your order is a defect.
Can every chew in my order look the same?
No two pieces of natural wood are the same. Approve a sample and keep it as the reference for your order.
How much can the size vary?
Length by about 0.5–1 cm. Diameter by 0.3–0.5 cm for XS and S, 0.5–1 cm for M and L, and 1.5–2.5 cm for XL and XXL.
Are chemicals used to change the colour?
No chemicals are added in production. The colour you see is the natural colour of the wood.
See the variation for yourself
Start with samples: your first 3 are free, you pay the shipping.