White Oak Prices

[Ron Citerone]

I didn't want the $200 bench thread to go off on a tangent so I started a fresh one. I can't for the life of me figure the price of white oak. Way back when before my hair turned gray white oak was cheap, even compared to other woods. Could it be the use of white oak for barrels? Is it the new in fashion wood for flooring? I am confused.

[John Kananis]

The pricing is variable on geography and finding the right supplier. But white oak is used for just about everything from flooring to stair treads to mantles to... etc.

Edit: if this is for a bench, maybe consider soft maple or ash (as others have mentioned), they're both excellent. Oak is a bit splintery for a bench.

[mike stenson]

Only explanation I got from my supplier was "it got popular, and the prices skyrocketed ".

[Dave Zellers]

Only explanation I got from my supplier was "it got popular, and the prices skyrocketed ".

We can blame all those YouTube farm table videos.

[Warren Lake]

I think the Ulmias are beech, one might be maple. Beech was used often in pre made benches

[Tom M King]

We have White Oak siding on our house and barn that I built in 1980. I built a number of spec houses with it too. I paid a hundred dollars a thousand for it back then. That’s 10 cents a board foot.

[Mel Fulks]

I think the Ulmias are beech, one might be maple. Beech was used often in pre made benches

Yes , beech was the ‘go to’ wood for benches. Because it was cheap. That is the origin or beech benches. I fell for it and ….therefore
have a beech bench. I admire the guys who want to make stuff and move forward , they trust their ability to create . Good work has ,
many times been done on cast -off doors supported by saw horses.

[Bill Bukovec]

I can buy low grade ( freshly cut) white oak for 60 cents a board foot in Northeast Tennessee.

[Dave Zellers]

I admire the guys who want to make stuff and move forward , they trust their ability to create . Good work has ,
many times been done on cast -off doors supported by saw horses.

EVERYONE should start that way. When I look back 40-50 years ago at some of the stuff I did out of sheer desire and perseverance, with just a sheet of plywood nailed to a 2x6 frame sitting on horses butted up to a radial arm saw, I just shake my head. After I started making money I always had to buy a new tool for the new job. I get that's how it works and my abilities improved dramatically of course, but it's easy to lose sight of those early years of just making things with what you had. My favorite was a small deck on a flat roof that needed a 5 1/2 foot tall door for access so it had to be custom made. I just did it. Barely even knew what a frame and panel door was. Full mortise and tenon, mortises chopped by hand, tenons shaped with the RAS, glued up with plastic resin glue, never having used it before. Assuming they maintained it, should still be there.

Now my basement shop has so many stationary tools I can hardly move around.

And you will have to pry them out of my cold dead hands.

[Alex Zeller]

One of my local retailers told me that the Japanese are buying up a lot of it to make whiskey barrels. When demand wasn't strong forest management didn't focus on keeping up a healthy population for future use. Now that there's lots of demand, like anything else, the price has gone up.

[Dave Zellers]

One of my local retailers told me that the Japanese are buying up a lot of it to make whiskey barrels.

That is interesting because they are winning awards for their top shelf whiskeys. That indicates strong demand going forward. It's long past time to start farming trees. I know we are doing it for softwoods, but we should be thinking out 50 years for some of these hardwoods. Possibly allowing very selective monitored harvesting in our national forests until we can establish serious farming. I don't know, just evening rambling.

[Kevin Jenness]

It's not just the Japanese. There's a lot of domestic demand for high grade white oak from barrel makers.

[chuck van dyck]

Just about 50% of pieces I’ve been asked to make in the last year have been white oak. From back splashes to banquettes to closet doors. Its just extremely in vogue. The price sucks but can be passed on to the client. What is bumming me out is the quality. I have a theory that its being rushed in the kiln because I’ve been getting a lot of honey combing. Its a lot of extra work to fill all that.

[Curt Harms]

Yes , beech was the ‘go to’ wood for benches. Because it was cheap. That is the origin or beech benches. I fell for it and ….therefore
have a beech bench. I admire the guys who want to make stuff and move forward , they trust their ability to create . Good work has ,
many times been done on cast -off doors supported by saw horses.

What I have heard/read is that beech benches are made from European Beech. Supposedly European Beech is more stable than N. American Beech. Supposedly N. American Beech is less stable than European Beech. How true this is I cannot say, I have no experience with either.

[Jim Becker]

Woodshop News just did their lumber highlight article on white oak. It indeed has been pricey because of demand, etc., but that's supposed to be moderating. I wanted some about a month ago but it was nearly the double price of red oak and that was fine for my small project. (I don't don't usually work in oak other than really liking English Brown Oak from Hearne where I use white oak for structure that's not seen or has limited visibility to reduce cost)