What Everybody Ought to Know About Rift Cut White Oak
By Katie Van Blargan, Customer Service Team Lead & Marketing Strategist“I am having an issue with an order I just received.”
“I understand. What issue are you experiencing?”
“I want to know why this entire order looks completely different than the other two kitchens I have sitting in my warehouse that were ordered the exact same way.”
Lumber quality purchasing has been a highly debated subject recently, especially when it comes to increased demand for unique wood species. In this instance, we are speaking on Rift Cut White Oak. A leading species choice for just about every homeowner, it is a beautiful, sturdy product that will bring natural beauty into any room.
Understanding Rift Cut vs. Quarter Sawn White Oak
| Rift Cut | Quarter Sawn |
|---|---|
| Straight Grain | Straight Grain with Flecking |
| Increased time to produce to ensure straight grain is achieved | Harder than plain sawn, not as labor intensive as Rift Cut |
| Ideal for specific design aesthetics | Commonly used in floors, furniture, and cabinetry doors |
Rift Cut White Oak is in high demand across the board. While we constantly are searching for the best quality, this is leading to a high yield on our part of about 55-60% product loss per job. Meridian Products has stipulations in place with our vendors that allow us to get the highest quality material, but when plaining the material it reveals its true face. Usually tending to be more towards a Quarter Sawn cut than a Rift Sawn cut as flecking and eraser marks become more noticeable.
High Demand and Pricing
A well-known fact is that when demand for a product rises the price increases due to the product required becoming scarcer. Take for instance our COVID-19 pandemic, product availability of toilet paper was slim to none. So much so that people were selling it on Facebook marketplace and stores were raising the price astronomically. With that being said, we can apply this same principle to the demand of Rift Cut White Oak.
Product Substitutions
The question to pose now is how we can show our customers more cost-effective, and less problematic options that they do not normally show us on Pinterest. While they may not generate the perfect look for your customer it will provide a cushion in their project—perhaps leaving room for that high-tech fridge they wanted.
So, what does White Ash offer as a substitution? While White Ash is not an exact match to Rift Cut White Oak it does offer a material that is lighter in color, has straight grain, and is flexible and strong. White Ash, a designer favorite when Rift Cut White Oak was in high demand in 2018, is worth revisiting as an alternative. A second alternative is switching to a veneer product. This can significantly reduce the material cost- by as much as 42%.
In conclusion, there is no solid answer Meridian Products can provide. Rift Cut white oak will continue to rise in cost and lower in quality the more it is requested. However, what Meridian Products can stand true to is that we strive to provide the best quality product we can, to ensure you give the best outcome to your customer.