Originally hand-hewn as a framing component of a barn these timbers have since aged with nice patina and can be a spectacular anchor or addition to just about any design; the face will have abundant texture and character and the color will range from brown to gray, and will show many signs of age such as weathering and checking; in addition to the natural aging, signs of the craftsmen who built these old barns is also evident, usually as a mortise pocket or other kind of joint carved with hand tools to fit the timbers together to support the structure without modern fasteners; in short each timber was carved with hand tools by a craftsman for a specific purpose and then aged for over a hundred years in a barn...how cool is that?