Quarter sawn describes timber cut radially from the log, so that the growth rings run roughly at right angles to the broad face of each board. The log is first divided into quarters and each quarter is then sawn into boards, a method more wasteful and laborious than simply slicing straight through the log, known as plain or flat sawing.
Quarter sawn boards are more stable than flat sawn timber, shrinking and warping less with changes in humidity, which made them prized for panelling, drawer fronts, table tops and fine joinery. In oak the method exposes the medullary rays as silvery flecks and ribbons across the surface, known as figure or ray fleck. Imported quartered oak from the Baltic, known as wainscot oak, was widely used by English joiners and cabinetmakers from the medieval period onwards. The striking figure was celebrated by the Arts and Crafts Movement and by American Mission furniture makers such as Gustav Stickley, and quarter sawn oak was also popular for Edwardian office and library furniture. When examining a piece, consistent ray figure across panels and tops is a good indication of quality timber selected by a careful maker.
