Rift-Sawn

Rift-sawn lumber is cut so the growth rings meet the board's face at roughly 30 to 60 degrees -- angled steeper than plain-sawn but shallower than true quarter-sawn, sitting deliberately in between. The result is straight, tight grain along the full length of the board with no cathedral figure, and -- unlike quarter-sawn oak specifically -- without the prominent ray fleck pattern either, since the cut angle doesn't align with the medullary rays the way a true quarter cut does.

Because usable rift-sawn boards only come from a narrower band of angles within the log than plain- or quarter-sawing captures, rift-sawn lumber is typically the most wasteful and most expensive of the three milling methods -- sought out specifically for its exceptionally straight, uniform grain, most often in flooring and furniture where perfectly consistent grain lines matter more than figure or cost.