Straight answers
There is no universal standard for oak sorting — every supplier's "rustic" and "select" mean something slightly different, and most keep the boundaries vague. We would rather state ours openly, so what arrives is exactly what you pictured.
Our sortings
Every stave is graded and colour-matched by hand at the sorting table. These are the rules our sorters work to.
| Grade | Knots | Cracks & filling | Sapwood & colour | The look |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Small sound knots up to ~10 mm | None — no filler used | No sapwood; even colour, moderate grain play | Calm, uniform, furniture-front quality |
| B/C | Sound knots up to ~30 mm, occasional pin knots | No open defects; hairline filling at most | Minimal sapwood; natural colour variation | Real oak with life in it — tidy but not sterile |
| Rustic | Unlimited — large and dead knots included | Cracks and knot holes filled smooth with two-component PU filler as standard (unfilled on request for trade) | Sapwood permitted; full colour range | Full character — every panel unique |
Boundaries are our house rules, applied consistently — not a claim about anyone else's grading. Filler takes oil slightly differently than wood, which is why we always recommend judging Rustic from a finished sample, not a photo. Already buying to another supplier's sorting? Send photos of what you sell today and we sort to match.
Why it matters
Price disputes are rare in this trade; grade disputes are common. A "B/C" parcel from one mill can look like another mill's rustic. The fix is boring and effective: agree the boundaries in writing before the first pallet, check them against a trial delivery, and keep the definitions attached to every order. That is how we work — our quotes reference these definitions, and a mixed trial pallet is the standard way to judge the sorting in hand before you commit to volume.
See it in hand
Definitions on paper, sorting in hand - a mixed pallet across grades is the honest way to check the match.