Customers of Theodor Nagel appreciate grain and texture, but they're mostly focused on the timbre of timbers. Theodor Nagel deals in timber trading and operates sawmills. The company provides about 120 different kinds of timber, including five different species of ebony and 15 rosewood species, for manufacturing musical instruments such as pianos and stringed and percussion instruments, as well as for knife handles, ships decks, and crafts. The company, founded in Hamburg in 1837, is owned by the Krauth family, which has overseen operations for six generations.