Timber yards have their own words, and they are worth knowing before you order. Here are the main ones, in plain terms.
Waney edge
The waney edge, or live edge, is the natural edge of the tree left on the board, with the bark removed. You get the true line of the trunk down the side, rather than a straight sawn edge. It is what gives a live-edge table or shelf its shape. We sell boards with a waney edge on one or both sides, or squared if you prefer.
Through and through
Also called slab sawn. The log is sawn in parallel cuts from one side to the other, so every board comes off in order. You get the full width of the tree, waney edge on both sides, and the grain runs on from board to board.
Boule
A boule is the whole log, cut through and through and then stacked back together in order, like a loaf sliced and pushed back into shape. Keeping a boule in order lets you match boards across a tabletop or a build, so the grain flows.
Air dried
Dried in the air rather than a kiln, settling at around 16 to 20 percent moisture. See our guide on air dried versus kiln dried oak.
In stick
The spacers, or sticks, stacked between boards so air moves through the pile while it dries. In stick just means stacked to dry.
Medullary rays
The bright flecks and rays you see in oak, strongest when the board is quarter sawn. They are part of what makes English oak look like oak.
Roughsawn
Straight off the mill, not planed. You see the saw marks and the true dimension. Most of what we sell is roughsawn, so you can flatten and finish it to your own job. If you see a term on a listing you are not sure of, ask. We would rather explain it than have you order the wrong thing.