Teak cockpit tables created equal?

[Patsi]

Hello to everyone,
I am looking to purchase a folding teak cockpit table. I am wondering about the quality differences in teak out there. Edson makes a very expensive table at ~ 900.00. Also found a similar table on sailboatowners.com for ~ 600.00. http://shop.sailboats.com
AND a table that is from Teakflex (usually priced ~ 400.00) that went on Ebay for ~218.00.
All are solid teak that open to ~ 28x27 with no legs to get in way. Obviously there must be a reason the price varies so greatly. Any one with any advice on finding good value/quality for price? What do you look for? Anyone familiar with any of these tables and have opinion?

[Sandero]

It can be a lot of work to build a nicely varnished teak foldaway cockpit table. But they are a nice DIY project which can be made exactly to your needs and need not cost anything like what these cost. I suggest you make it yourself and take your time.

[Colorado Dreamer]

Originally Posted by defjef

It can be a lot of work to build a nicely varnished teak foldaway cockpit table. But they are a nice DIY project which can be made exactly to your needs and need not cost anything like what these cost. I suggest you make it yourself and take your time.

I am with defjef on this one. Although I will tell you this: I bought a nice teak folding table at a SAMS club two years ago and some teak rocking chairs for patio furniture. I use the rockers at home, and the folding teak table on the boat.

After two seasons (one freshwater in Coloado and the last year on a different boat in San Diego) the table looks and works great.

It was $40.00 if I remember right. So if you can not build your own, I would suggest looking around. Teak tables are easy to find in the spring time in most places...and from what I know, teak is teak. So even if you buy a $40 table every year and toss it out at the end of the season you still come out ahead.

[Sandero]

And why not adapt a store bought one if the price is right from a garden center.

[Pblais]

The issue to watch isn't so much the teak but the hardware. You really want top quality 316 hardware if possible. The standard teak outdoor stuff hardware may be stainless but probably not marine grade. You might find some of the teak furniture sold as "some assmebly required". If you replaced all the hardware you might come up with something pretty durable.

These days you can't buy quality Asian Teak furniture cheap. Even the Edson stuff is not Asian Teak. The real stuff turns bright red when you sand it and has a lot more natural oil in the wood. With Edson you'll get the better hardware.

[FrankZ]

You can also buy the Edson hardware to adapt or build your own table from.