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What wood is the Vasa made of?

Could you please tell me what wood variety that the Vasa was created from?


Vasamuseet

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  • Vasa was almost exclusively built from oak, chosen of course for its exceptional strength and resistance properties. Decks not carrying any canons - the weather and orlop decks - were built from pine, except for the aft section on orlop deck where two canons were placed and oak was used to take the load. As for the sculptures and other decorative elements, these are often linden which is a softer wood species, easily worked and formed into shape.

    Read more about the building of the ship on our web!
    Didier Linder
  • Where did the oak used to build the Vasa come from?
    Andrew Wilson
  • Hi Andrew,

    Thank you for your question!
    Vasa was built from oak that came both from Sweden and from Poland-Lituania. (At the time Vasa was built, Sweden were at war with Poland-Lituania) Here in Sweden, we did have enough material that we could use to build our ships, but in some cases it was more affordable to import oak from abroad. We could of course not trade directly with our enemies, but the shipbuilder of Vasa, Henrik Hybertsson and his business partner Arendt the Grooth, came from Holland. They could buy polish timber from Dutch merchants in Amsterdam. The oak from Sweden came from the forests near Kalmar and Västervik, as well as the forests around Lake Mälaren. (Near Stockholm).

    To read more about the building and timber of Vasa, check out our website.

    Best regards
    Emelie

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