What is quarter sawn oak? Watch in under a minute how the ray flecks appear and how it differs from rift sawn and plain sawn oak, explained by a timber merchant.

A worm hole in European oak (floor, beam or table) is usually no disaster. When you should look closer, and why we used to drill the holes ourselves.

A poem found on a tree in Portugal, about what wood means to us — from the hearth and the table to the cradle and the coffin. Shared by Maarten.

Turkey oak, also known as moss oak, is a cheaper alternative to European oak. Here's how it compares in durability, drying and use as structural timber.

What oak rouge and queue de vache mean in French oak, how to recognize them, and what they do to the value of a batch.

What do the oak grades QF/1a to QF/5 mean, and how do you choose the right sorting for planks, beams and board timber? A timber merchant explains.

Knots, small cracks, sometimes a worm hole — that's not a flaw, that's character. About real oak in a world raised on wood-print laminate.

Why does European oak sometimes show brown or blue stains? Here's what tannic acid does to the wood, and what to watch for when working with it.

Watered logs being lifted In the past, most types of wood were often “watered”, meaning that the fresh logs were placed in clean, fresh and, if possible, running water for a longer period of time after felling. The logs are placed with the “butt” in the direction of the flow, i.e. in the same direction that the sap flows move, to promote flushing. The watering duration can vary between 3 months and 3 years depending on the type of wood. This has several advantages: 1) Insects