There are numerous oaks that have "black" or "blackjack" or "jack" as all or part of one or more of their common names, but many of those oaks are more commonly called by other names. It is my intent that this page include only those that are very commonly or fairly commonly called black oak or blackjack oak or Jack oak. These are all in the red oak group and they include at least the following:
Quercus ellipsoidalis = black oak, Jack oak, pin oak, yellow oak, etc
Quercus kelloggii (syn. Quercus californica) = California black oak, mountain black oak, Kellog oak, and others
Quercus marilandica = black oak, blackjack oak, Jack oak, iron oak, scrub oak, etc
Quercus nigra (the "primary" black oak --- the name means, literally, "black oak" but other common names include blackjack, American red oak, pin oak, water oak, and others
Quercus nigrescens = black oak)
Quercus velutina = blackjack, black oak, blackjack oak, Dyer oak, jack oak, and others, including American red oak)
my samples: NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K) colors will vary under other lighting conditions
both sides of a sample plank of water oak / Quercus nigra --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of water oak / Quercus nigra --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of water oak / Quercus nigra --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of water oak / Quercus nigra --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of water oak / Quercus nigra --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a rift cut sample plank of black oak / Quercus velutina
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above; the pores seem somewhat less clear because of the fine dust in them from the sanding but the fine grain details are much more clear.
both sides of a rift cut sample plank listed as black oak / Quercus velutina --- huge enlargements are present
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above --- the pores have gotten a bit clogged up but the fine details are much more clear
both sides of a sample plank of flat cut black oak / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of flat cut black oak / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of flat cut black oak / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of quartersawn black oak / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above; the pores seem somewhat less clear because of the fine dust in them from the sanding but the fine grain details are much more clear.
both sides of a sample plank of quartersawn black oak / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of quartersawn black oak / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of knotty black oak / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. I believe the knots are adventitous buds, one of which can be seen clearly in the end grain update below. The vendors note on his label that the wood has "a bazillion knots" is a slight exaggeration and anyway, likely refers to an entire plank, not just this little sample.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above and a section of it showing one of the adventitious buds growing out between two rays
both sides of a sample plank of water oak (aka black oak) / Quercus nigra
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of blackjack oak / Quercus marilandica --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of blackjack oak / Quercus marilandica --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of blackjack oak / Quercus marilandica --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of blackjack oak / Quercus marilandica --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of blackjack oak / Quercus marilandica --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
blackjack oak / Quercus marilandica sample plank and end grain --- the end grain shot is too dark --- the shoddy quality of this wood sample was not unusual in the samples that I got from the IWCS
both sides of a sample plank of black oak burl / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of black oak burl / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of black oak burl / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of black oak burl / Quercus velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Although this sample vendor is generally reliable, this doesn't look like a burl to me, just some kind of crotch area.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of California black oak / Quercus kelloggii --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
California black oak (Quercus californica, which is just a synonym for Quercus kelloggii, also listed as mountain black oak and Kellogg's oak) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views. This species is in the red oak group.
flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
water oak (quercus aquatica, also listed as duck oak, possum oak, and punk oak) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views. This species is in the red oak group. Quercus aquatica is a synonym for the name of accepted Quercus nigra and the normal common name is black oak.
flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
yellow oak (Quercus tinctoria, also listed as yellow bark oak, black oak, and quercitron oak) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views. This species is in the red oak group. NOTE: this is now considered to be black oak (aka Eastern black oak) and Quercus tinctoria is now considered to be just a synonym for Quercus velutina
web pics:
black oak log end
plank listed as black oak / Quercus velutina
plank listed as black oak / Quercus kelloggii
plank listed as blackjack oak / Quercus marilandica
planks listed as California black oak
planks listed as black oak ... on the left is dry s been moistened for the pics
plank
quartersawn black oak plank
figured planks of Dyer oak
both sides of a figured plank of Dyer oak
figured planks of Dyer oak --- both sides and a closeup
figured planks of Dyer oak --- both sides and a closeup
Dyer oak turning stock
Dyer oak burl
Dyer oak burl pieces, all from the same vendor and all with both levels of enlargement present
front and back of a pair of blackjack oak turning sticks --- these were not listed as curly but clearly they are
front and back of a pair of blackjack oak turning sticks --- these were not listed as curly but clearly they are
curly blackjack oak
both sides of a black oak burl slab
black oak burl slab showing both sides, both ends, and one edge
black oak burl cut into bookmatched planks
these were listed as black oak burls, but I think they may just be crotch areas
black oak vases
two views of a spalted black oak burl vase
platter and closeup
blackjack oak bowl
bowl listed as black oak / Quercus kelloggii
black oak burl bowls
rough turned black oak bowl
black oak bowls
black oak bowls
turned and photographed by Tom Pleatman, whom I thank for these pics and other contributions to the site. Big enlargements are present.