Z&E Slabs

If I could give Z&E Slabs six stars, I would. My wife and I bought a slab from Ian at Z&E for a breakfast nook table in our sunroom. The first piece of wood we picked out didn’t take the stain the way we had anticipated, and even though that was not Z&E’s fault, they offered to give it another try with another slab and eat the cost. That’s the kind of customer service you want when you’re looking to do a custom furniture job. On top of all that, great selection, excellent craftsmanship, and all around a great experience. A+

I found this place looking for some salvaged wood by going to the nearby Woodbank, looking for a slab to make my table. The selections at Z&E are incredible and Ian, the owner, was very helpful. He showed me around, answered questions and helped me pick something based on my needs. I picked out a Mango slab from Hawaii and Ian was more than happy to advise me on how to prep my own table and what tools I will need. He offered to even sell some of the materials he uses there at the shop, what a guy! I’m very much looking forward to making my table. Thanks Ian!

I knew what I wanted – a beautiful live edge table for the dining room in our new house. I just didn’t know where to get it. A co-​worker suggested looking at Craigslist for some local sources as I was unimpressed with the cost vs quality of the dining tables available through most furniture stores. That eventually led me to Z & E Slabs and Ian. He spent a considerable amount of time showing me the different woods available, numerous finishing methods, and all of the other options at my disposal. I loved that Ian could tell me exactly where each slab originated. Joycelyn was also a pleasure to work with – she sent numerous photos via email and helped answer additional questions.
Ian was very patient with me as I took my time considering the options and even ended up changing the shape of the table that he would cut from the raw slab. We decided to take advantage of the fact that he could cut the table into any length and ended up choosing an irregular length; tables that you can buy from stores are usually available only in certain lengths (i.e. 6 feet, 7 feet, 8 feet). This was a benefit to custom work that hadn’t occurred to me at the outset but that proved to be very helpful.
Long story short, I now have a gorgeous custom-​made dining room table thanks to Z & E and Terra Amico, one that would have easily cost three times more at a place like Urban Hardwoods. And it’s even better than anything that I could have purchased at that store or others like it since the wood is a top-​quality claro walnut slab and I was able to design it starting from a raw slab with Ian and Joe’s help. Ian also made us a bunch of smaller pieces from the cutoff pieces of wood, including a small table, cutting boards, a wine rack, etc. My table was made in California from wood that was grown and then cut in California. It wasn’t cheap, but it was way less expensive than I would have paid anywhere else… and I now own a table that’s sure to become a family heirloom. Thanks Ian and Joycelyn!

Recently bought a dining table top from Ian at Z&E. My wife and I were looking for a live edge table for our apartment and visited a handful of lumberyards in SF area. A guy at MacBeath in Berkeley sent us to Z&E. When we arrived, we knew we found the spot.
I will say, it is really difficult to shop for this stuff. The slabs are heavy and stacked, so it’s hard to peruse. But that being said, Z&E does its best to organize as best as possible.
Ian made our table and it turned out fantastically. We couldn’t be happier. He even delivered it to us in SF at no additional cost.
We are definitely happy customers.

Z&E did all the table tops and front bar counter for our tasting room (Triple Voodoo Brewery and Tap Room) in San Francisco. The quality is awesome. The service was awesome. We are really happy with every aspect of their work

This place is so cool. I got a small slab from them and the care and time the owner took to sand it, clean it, etc. was so amazing. Almost as though I was buying something massive. Def recommend to people looking for something original, beautiful.

I am a hobbyist woodworker with a small garage shop in San Francisco. During a recent cross-​bay excursion to MacBeath, a friend suggested I check out a «slab» place he had recently stumbled upon.
Xanadu!
All different slabs from the familiar to the exotic neatly organized in an unassuming warehouse on the quiet end of 4^th st. Prices are reasonable and the owner is johnny on the spot with advice.
I left with a black walnut slab now coffee table that my feet are resting on as I write this very review. Z&E alone is worth the drive to Berkeley for any woodworker.