Sheets of oak veneered MDF and Moso bamboo, the two main materials Cherry Grove Craft engraves

Where Our Materials Come From: Suppliers, Certificates and Why Bamboo Costs More

Our two main materials come from named, certified suppliers. Our 4mm FSC-certified oak veneered MDF comes from Laserply (Daisymoon Designs Ltd), a UK supplier of laser-ready sheet. Our FSC-certified Moso bamboo (certificate BV-COC-190523) is made by Fujian Sunton Houseware Products Co., Ltd. in Fujian, China. Bamboo products cost more because the certified bamboo sheet costs more to buy. We also engrave solid oak, birch plywood and natural slate on a smaller number of products.

Our materials at a glance

  • Oak veneered MDF: most of our signs, name badges and keyrings. FSC-certified through our supplier's certification. Indoor use only.
  • Moso bamboo: our bamboo range, in 3mm and 5mm. FSC-certified Moso bamboo (certificate BV-COC-190523). Water-resistant.
  • Solid oak: the 20mm "Block" range of freestanding signs. Not FSC-certified in our supply chain.
  • Birch plywood: smaller pieces such as bookmarks, tokens, swing tags and some keyrings and baubles. Not certified.
  • Natural slate: coasters. FSC can't certify stone, and our slate carries no environmental certification.

Oak veneered MDF: Laserply, UK

Oak veneered MDF is a real oak veneer bonded to an MDF core, so you get the look of oak with the stability of an engineered board. We buy it from Laserply (Daisymoon Designs Ltd), a UK supplier that specialises in laser-ready sheet materials, so it arrives cut to suit our machines.

It is FSC-certified at source through our supplier's FSC chain-of-custody certification. Unlike the bamboo, there is no separate certificate number for this material, so we state the fact plainly rather than present a number. If you need documented chain of custody for a tender, a Green Key application or an ESG report, ask before ordering and we'll confirm what we can evidence for the specific material.

Under the UK Timber Regulations, the business that first places timber products such as MDF on the Great Britain market must carry out due diligence to keep out illegally harvested wood, and businesses further down the chain must keep records of who they bought from and sold to.

Bamboo: Fujian Sunton Houseware Products, China

Our bamboo is Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), made into laminated sheet by Fujian Sunton Houseware Products Co., Ltd., based in Changting County, Fujian Province, China. The manufacturer holds FSC chain-of-custody certificate BV-COC-190523, issued by Bureau Veritas Certification, an accredited certification body. It covers FSC 100% bamboo strip, bamboo plywood and bamboo household articles. Chain-of-custody certificates are audited every year.

Cherry Grove Craft is not itself an FSC certificate holder. We buy certified material and say exactly where the certification sits. You can look the certificate code up yourself; our FSC chain of custody guide shows how.

Why bamboo products cost more

Our FSC-certified Moso bamboo (certificate BV-COC-190523) costs us noticeably more per sheet than oak veneered MDF, and that difference is passed through to the price. It isn't a premium for sounding greener. If price decides it, oak veneered MDF is the economical choice and is FSC-certified too. Bamboo is the better choice where you need a certificate number you can quote, or where the piece will face damp or go outdoors (5mm, or 3mm tied securely): see our bamboo, oak and plywood comparison.

How the two engrave differently

Oak veneered MDF engraves evenly. The laser gives a dark, consistent mark across the whole design, with crisp text and clean logos. If every badge in a set of 50 needs to look identical, choose oak.

Bamboo engraves with natural variation. Laminated bamboo is made of strips with slightly different densities, so the engraving is darker over denser strips and lighter over others. That is the material, not a fault, and the photographs on our bamboo listings show it honestly.

What the materials contain

None of our products has a plastic sheet, film or coating. To be precise, though: MDF and laminated bamboo are both bonded with a synthetic resin or glue, so we don't describe the boards themselves as plastic-free. Orders are packed without plastic: cardboard, paper tape and tissue paper, with jute string on hanging products. Our materials and sustainability page lists the exceptions, such as metal badge fittings and recycled lanyards.

What each material goes into

Ordering from us

Everything is engraved to order in our workshop in North Wales. Choose a product, add your wording or logo where the listing offers it, and add to basket. Bulk discounts apply automatically at checkout, per product: 10% off 20+, 15% off 50+, 20% off 100+, 25% off 250+, 30% off 500+ and 35% off 1,000+.

All items are made to order. Dispatch time is shown at checkout. UK orders via Royal Mail Tracked 24. International via Royal Mail International Tracked.

Frequently asked questions

Where does your oak veneered MDF come from?
From Laserply (Daisymoon Designs Ltd), a UK supplier of laser-ready sheet. It is FSC-certified through our supplier's chain-of-custody certification.

Where does your bamboo come from?
It is Moso bamboo sheet made by Fujian Sunton Houseware Products Co., Ltd. in Fujian, China, which holds FSC chain-of-custody certificate BV-COC-190523.

Is Cherry Grove Craft FSC-certified?
No. We are not ourselves a certificate holder; we buy FSC-certified material and the certification sits with our suppliers.

Why are bamboo products more expensive?
Our FSC-certified Moso bamboo (certificate BV-COC-190523) costs more to buy than oak veneered MDF, and the price reflects that.

Will bamboo engraving look the same as oak?
No. Oak veneered MDF engraves evenly; bamboo shows natural light and dark variation between its strips.

Also see: is MDF sustainable?, is slate sustainable? and the FSC-certified wooden gifts and business products range.

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