English Brown Oak

English Brown Oak might easily be the most historied species of tree on earth. Also known simply as “English Oak” or “Common Oak,” the species has been a prized hardwood timber for thousands of years. And been linked with royalty for millennia — ancient kings and Roman Emperors wore crowns of oak leaves.

Legend also has it that Robin Hood and his outlaws used one of the most famous English Oak trees as a hideout. Today, “The Major Oak,” a massive, 1000-year-old, tree is still growing in the middle of Sherwood Forest, in Nottinghamshire, England.

English Brown Oak has also left its mark on the United States. Brought here from Europe in the 1600s, it’s been an important lumber tree for furniture and shipbuilding ever since. And back in the United Kingdom, the English Oak still supports more species of life than any other native tree.

Appearance wise, the regal nature of English Brown Oak is instantly recognizable. It exudes a rich brown color with tan streaks. And while usually straight grained – depending on the growing conditions of the tree – it may be irregular or interlocked. English Brown Oak also features a coarse, uneven texture, and when quartersawn displays prominent ray fleck patterns.

Among the hardest, most durable woods on the planet, English Brown Oak delivers in every way for nearly every application — furniture, flooring, cabinetry, boatbuilding, wood veneer, architectural plywood, and wine barrels.