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We have included Quartersawn in our "Specialty and Unique Woods" section, but it is something that we have a regular inventory of in both Red Oak and White Oak. We stock it in both 4/4 (which finishes at 3/4" thick), and 5/4 (which finishes at 1" thick). Pricing for these items can be found on our regular price sheets, which you can get to by going the "Lumber Prices" link on the left, and choosing the correct alphabetical sheet for the species you want.
The reason Quartersawn can be a regular stock item is that it can be produced out of any log by following the correct sawing process. It is more expensive to saw Quartersawn than regular lumber, and usually the logs used to make Quartersawn are larger which contributes somewhat to the higher cost.
The concept of quartersawing is that there is a straight grain pattern shown on the board. This is done by having the end grain of a quartersawn board to be between 45 degrees and 90 degrees of vertical. Advantages to this are a less dramatic grain pattern, which some people prefer, and also a more stable board. Quartersawed lumber typically experiences less expansion and contraction with changes in moisture content, which also means less cupping and warping.
Within the Quartersawn grading standards, there are two distinct looks you can achieve in Oak Lumber. What is sometimes referred to as "True Quartersawn" splits the medullary rays in oak and can give a "tiger stripe" pattern to the board. Here is an example of that in White Oak:
"Rift Sawn" has a straight grain, but does not have the "tiger stripe" pattern of splitting the medullary rays. Here is an example of that in Red Oak:
It is also possible to get quartersawn in other species, but that only appears in single boards or a small group. We do not stock full bins of quartersawn in species other than the oaks, but we may have some pieces at various times.
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