oak, English brown

A special name given to wood produced from certain European oak trees that have been infected with a fungus, in the growing tree, which changes the color of the wood to a rich deep brown. Price range: Valuable.

English oak is a relatively small oak with the botanical names Quercus petraea (syn Q. sessiliflora) and Quercus robur. These, particularly Quercus petraea, grow abundantly in parks and on roadsides in England. It has a coarse, but straight grain that is usually a rich brown color. Flat sawn timber has a distinctive figuring while radial cut lumber has silver grain lines. The wood has a high gallic acid content that will corrode iron and other contacting metals.

Prized by cabinet makers for its workability, strength, durability, and beauty, it is widely used in furniture, paneling, railway sleepers, cabinet, musical instruments and ship building. The bark is used for tanning and dyeing.

Very attractive but unfortunately QUITE expensive in America (about 5 times the price of red oak) and not nearly as available as red oak. Although I love this wood, I've never used it for any but the smallest projects due to the price. If your'e rich, I HIGHLY recommend it --- I can't think of a wood I'd rather have for home or office paneling; it's gentle enough to avoid garishness when seen in large quantities but rich enough for elegance. Truly a beautiful, beautiful wood.

Tends to warp, twist and tear.

prices from good dealers will run $12 to $18 per board foot, although I've seen it as low as $9/BF in 50BF quantities

I've heard it said that the brown color in the best EB oak simply cannot be duplicated with dyes.