Materials
Choosing White Oak: A Maker’s Guide
By Adrian Mercer · March 12, 2026
Rift-sawn versus plain-sawn, moisture readings, and why we reject one board in five.
White oak is our most-specified timber for a reason: it is hard, stable, and its ray figure glows under oil. But not every board suits every job.
Rift-sawn stock keeps grain straight for kitchens and wardrobes; plain-sawn boards bring cathedral figure for feature walls and table tops. Demand moisture readings between 6 and 8 percent, and sight down every board before you buy.
Choose well and the timber does half the designing for you.
In our workshop we reject roughly one board in five — twisted, stressed, or simply wrong for the piece at hand. That discipline is invisible in the finished work, which is exactly the point.
