What is the difference between quarter sawn and plain sawn wood?
Plain sawn (or flat sawn) lumber has growth rings of the tree parallel to the boards face (the widest edge). Plain sawn wood highlights the grain, loops and growth swirls of wood. Quarter sawn lumber has the growth rings of the tree more perpendicular to the boards face. Quarter sawn wood has the straightest grain and is much more expensive due to the greater amount of “waste” that is generated in the milling process. The U. S. Forest Service publications generally describe lumber as either quarter sawn or plain (flat) sawn, with quarter sawn having an orientation of annual rings to the face of the lumber of 45 to 90 degrees and plain sawn as 0 to 45 degrees.
