From Hunski Hardwoods (https://hunskihardwoods.com/live-edge-slabs)  ---

The beauty of live edge slabs

Live edge slabs are as individual as the grand trees that produced them. They come from a natural cut of wood that keeps the unique lines of the tree trunk along one or two of its edges. This gives each finished work a one-of-a-kind appearance by letting the irregular natural edge of the wood show. While woodworkers have been using the natural edges of wood for centuries, the contemporary live-edge look came into popularity in the 1940’s, when furniture designer George Nakashima first introduced it into modern furniture for the Knoll Company. 

Live edge pieces are typically used for dining and conference tables, coffee tables, bar and counter tops, benches, desks, headboards, shelving, and cutting boards. Live edge furniture is treasured for its organic, unique beauty, and is ideal for adding a special quality to an otherwise ordinary surface. Live edges can be used to help soften the lines in a space that is otherwise filled with the straight lines of highly refined wood. Live edge wood provides a beautiful contrast to the strictly linear look of a room, and serves as a pleasant reminder of the natural origin of the wood.