We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations. Your nose does not lie… its science. Nothing says American hardwood like Red Oak, from flooring to furniture and everything in between, it’s likely the most ubiquitous hardwood in North America. Many people don’t realize there are over 20 native species in the red oak classification (4), though only about 4-6 of those species are regularly sawn and labeled as Red Oak. Earlier this year, I was on the lookout for some quality logs to saw material for our chair kits. With chair parts, straight grain is imperative, so we start with the logs. Normally, I’m hunting what is referred to as a 4-sided log in a larger diameter with a coarse texture. 4-sided indicates that when the round log is sawn into a square cant, it should yield 4 clean sides. This normally indicates the most defect-free logs when it comes to lumps, knots, and sawn-off limbs.…