Swarthaak & Kameeldoring: Meet the African Hardwoods Made for Your Dutch Wood Stove
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Burn oak, beech, ash or birch? Then this is for you.
If you heat your home with a wood stove or open fireplace in the Netherlands, you probably know your local firewood well. But there are two names you may never have heard of: Swarthaak and Kameeldoring. In Southern Africa they are household names, and once you've burned them, you'll understand why.
First: what are they?
Swarthaak and Kameeldoring are two hardwood tree species that grow in the dry bushveld of Southern Africa. The names are Afrikaans, a language closely related to Dutch, so you may already recognise the words:
- Kameeldoring literally means "camel thorn" (Vachellia erioloba). It is a slow-growing indigenous tree, named because giraffes, the "camel-leopards" of old, browse its leaves.
- Swarthaak means "black hook" (Acacia mellifera), after its dark, hooked thorns. It is a hardy shrub-like tree that can grow very densely across large areas.
Both grow slowly in a hot, dry climate, which is exactly what makes their wood so extraordinarily dense.
How is it different from the firewood you know?
The biggest difference is density. Swarthaak and Kameeldoring pack a lot more wood mass into the same volume than familiar European woods like oak, beech, ash and birch. Pick up a log and you'll feel it straight away: it's surprisingly heavy for its size.
In the stove, that means the wood doesn't burn away quickly. Instead it builds a solid fire bed and produces long-lasting glowing coals that keep giving off heat. For you, that mainly means refuelling less often and enjoying the same fire for longer.
🪵 Kameeldoring: for a long, steady fire
Kameeldoring is exceptionally dense and really comes into its own once a good hot fire bed has built up. It burns steadily, forms beautiful glowing coals and keeps giving off heat for a long time.
Ideal for cold Dutch winter evenings when the stove is on for hours.
🔥 Swarthaak: the powerful all-rounder
Swarthaak is also a very dense hardwood, combining good heat, a long burn time and excellent coal formation.
A great choice for everyday use in the fireplace or wood stove, and for anyone curious to try something different from traditional oak or beech.
💧 Less than 4% moisture
Every experienced wood burner knows dry wood burns better. Here in the Netherlands, firewood with up to about 20% moisture is generally considered dry and ready to burn.
Our Swarthaak and Kameeldoring are delivered with a moisture content of less than 4%. At that level, hardly any energy is lost evaporating water from the wood. Burned correctly in a suitable stove, it can quickly build a good hot fire.
✨ Beautiful glowing coals
When the flames slowly die down, the fire is far from over. Swarthaak, and Kameeldoring in particular, form a deep glowing bed of hot coals that keeps radiating heat for a long time.
Light the stove in the evening and you'll still have a lovely warm fire bed hours later.
🏠 More heat from your log store
Dutch homes rarely have room to spare. Because of their high density, Swarthaak and Kameeldoring give you a lot of wood mass per cubic metre, so more of what's in your log store ends up as heat in your stove.
🌿 Is it responsibly sourced?
A fair question for wood that travels from Africa. In some areas of Southern Africa, Swarthaak grows so densely that it crowds out grasses and other vegetation. Responsible thinning, known as bush management, helps restore that land, and the wood that becomes available is put to good use as a high-quality fuel.
For Kameeldoring, a slow-growing indigenous tree, legal and responsible sourcing is our priority.
Do I need to know about braai?
Not at all. In South Africa these woods are famous for the braai, the local version of a barbecue. But you don't have to be a braai fan to enjoy them. They are just as well suited to a Dutch living room with a wood stove or open fireplace.
In short: why try African hardwood?
- 🔥 Long-lasting heat
- 🪵 Very dense hardwood
- 💧 Less than 4% moisture
- 🔥 Excellent coal formation
- ⏳ Refuelling less often
- 🏠 Lots of wood mass per cubic metre
- ✨ A beautiful, steady, long-lasting fire
Burn it once, and you'll understand the difference.
Swarthaak & Kameeldoring from Hardehout NL, delivered to your door in the Netherlands.
More wood mass. Less moisture. Long-lasting heat. Beautiful glowing coals.
Ready to try it? Start with Kameeldoring for long evenings, or Swarthaak for an everyday all-rounder.