Red oak moves with niche buy

Red oak (Quercus rubra), also known as northern red oak, remains widely available at competitive prices. But while it generates steady sales, suppliers say demand lags behind white oak.

Scott Roberts of Roberts Plywood in Deer Park, New York, notes that designers favor lighter tones, making white oak the preferred choice. Still, red oak continues to move among a subset of customers.

“The design community is stuck in a rut, but shops are buying the red,” Roberts said. “Sometimes they’re staining it for solid, same with plywood and veneer. So, if they have a project that’s chocolate in color, you can do that and save yourself some money. It’s available in good lengths and good widths.”

While cost remains a key driver, Roberts said there’s enough movement to call interest moderate. Over the past month, he reports selling approximately 800 to 1,000 bf in both 4/4 and 5/4. In the past year, he’s sold around 670 sheets of red oak plywood.

Rick Herbine of Herbine Hardwoods in Leesburg, Virginia, operates a small sawmill focused on Appalachian hardwoods. His offerings include red oak dimensional lumber in 4/4, 5/4 and 8/4, quartersawn stock in 4/4 and 5/4, and natural edge slabs.

“It sells OK. It’s not nearly as popular right now as white oak, but it does sell,” Herbine said. “We consider red oak a primary furniture-grade lumber, so it wouldn’t be like poplar or soft maple for interior work. I’ve had people make chairs out of red oak. Windsor chair makers buy the lumber air-dried.

“It’s not considered a premium Appalachian hardwood like cherry, walnut or figured maples, and it doesn’t fall into the category of secondary species like poplar, soft maple or birch. It’s suitable for furniture applications like tables and chairs, desks.”

Price is just one factor influencing purchasing decisions, with customers also drawn to red oak’s pronounced grain, warm tones and durability, according to Herbine.

“Everybody has their own reason. It’s a strong hardwood, but not as hard as white oak or hard maple. It has an aggressive grain, and that’s what I like about it,” he said. “Oak and ash really show the grain, as opposed to maple or cherry where the grain pattern is less prominent. And then there’s the color. Some people stain it; others prefer a clear finish and like that reddish brown color.”

Doug Moore of Moore’s Sawmill in Bloomfield, Connecticut, said he sells limited volumes of kiln-dried red oak, primarily for cabinet applications.

“This winter, business overall has been very slow. We haven’t had a real New England winter in a long time, and this was a real New England winter,” Moore said. “And now, with the current state of affairs, I think everybody’s being a little tight with their money.”

Moore said kiln-dried red oak sales have been particularly slow, with small amounts going out for cabinet work. He noted that red oak was popular 20 years ago but has since fallen out of favor.

“I think some of it’s the color. They like white oak over red oak because it’s a softer color — it’s brown instead of bright red,” he said. “But some people get the price on the white oak and then they have sticker shock.”

Flat-sawn red oak in 4/4 was quoted at a starting price of $4.50/bf.

Originally published in the June 2026 issue of Woodshop News.