| Furniture artisans such as Gustav Stickley, Frank | | | | character of the rays. The proper cutting technique |
| Lloyd Wright and the Amish used and often | | | | alone will bring out these otherwise hidden lustrous |
| preferred the look of quarter sawn woods, especially | | | | rays. The nature of the oak is always beautiful and |
| oak, over any other woods. In oak the quarter sawn | | | | strong but the true beauty, much like in a good |
| pattern exposed is often informally known as "tiger | | | | diamond cutting, is arguably revealed in higher priced |
| oak", especially when the cut has created that | | | | quarter sawn oak. A log is first cut into quarters |
| amazing striped effect. Popularized in the Arts and | | | | lengthwise and then each quarter is cut again |
| Crafts era by Mission furniture crafters, the quarter | | | | lengthwise with parallel cuts. These cuts run sort of |
| sawn look is timeless and intriguing. | | | | perpendicular to the tree's natural growth rings. This |
| What then is the difference between plain sawn | | | | style of cutting, while less cost effective to produce, |
| lumber and quarter sawn? Why does each one | | | | has an advantage. Because of the properties of the |
| present their own beauty and production issues in | | | | grain quarter sawn lumber makes it less prone to |
| furniture making? | | | | warping and shrinkage. Plain sawn lumber's grain is in |
| The various sawing techniques used on the timber | | | | many directions thus making it more vulnerable to |
| will affect and cause a difference in the wood's | | | | these two common enemies of wooden furniture. |
| appearance. The way it is sawn even affects the | | | | Quarter sawn wood adds a certain stability to |
| properties of the tree and eventually its final use. | | | | furniture. Also, because of the features of quarter |
| The efficiency of the plain sawing technique means | | | | sawn boards, furniture makers can glue together |
| the production yields more. It is much faster and | | | | boards for large projects and the grain can be |
| more efficient to plain saw and leaves less waste | | | | matched as if it were seamless. This can make larger |
| thus can be sold for much less. An important factor | | | | high end quality designs a masterpiece of nature and |
| furniture makers must consider is that the nature of | | | | man. |
| wood is to expand and contract depending on the | | | | Since cost is a factor in many furniture designs plain |
| grain. Plain sawing timber can typically cause the | | | | sawn boards have been used by many furniture |
| board to be less stable. Because of wood movement | | | | manufacturers for decades since they are less |
| plain sawn wood has some disadvantages. Plain sawn | | | | expensive. Depression era furniture is often identified |
| wood, however, can even have a very sought after | | | | by its plain saw cut woods, or by its slightly more |
| and interesting pattern to its grain called cathedrals | | | | expensive quarter sawn veneers. That said not all |
| and really cannot be recreated by any other method. | | | | veneers mean low end furniture but in many cases it |
| A real prize of any furniture craftsmen or collector is | | | | is a cost cutting measure. Like Gustav Stickley, |
| in the grains and the ray flecks, of the woods. A | | | | honorary father of American Arts and Crafts Mission |
| tree always display growth rings and rays but the | | | | furniture, the Amish still carry on the use of quarter |
| more obvious the rays, the more character is in the | | | | sawn white oak with no veneers in their Craftsman |
| wood. Irregular growth rings can actually enhance the | | | | style furniture. |