Premium French vs Rustic European Oak
I want to give you a comparison between our two most popular oak types: Premium French Oak and Rustic European Oak. There are lots of differences between the two which I’ll touch on later, but first I’m going to give you a visual comparison to help you decide which one suits you best.
Width of Pieces & Appearance
Our Premium French Oak tops are made from three wide pieces that come from a single tree. This results in the grain patterns and colour tones flowing seamlessly across the entire table top. We buy our French Oak trees in whole so we can be very particular about the parts of the tree we use, selecting the pieces that fit together perfectly. The result is visually striking and unlike any other table top that you’ll commonly see.
Our Rustic European Oak tops are made from much narrower pieces (of a width between 80-150mm), resulting in more contrast in the colours and grain patterns.
Thickness
Our Premium French Oak tops is available in 40mm, 52mm and 65mm thickness, whereas our Rustic European Oak tops are only available in a 40mm thickness.
Finish
Our Rustic European Oak tops come with our standard finish, which gives you a good level of protection and keeps the surface looking completely natural.
Our Premium French Oak tops come with our Induro finish. It looks identical to our standard finish (keeping the surface looking completely natural) and also offers our highest level of protection against spills and stains. Through rigorous testing against various agents, from turmeric and wine to olive oil and hot coffee, it has proven to surpass all others in stain resistance and durability.
If you opt for the European Oak, there is also an option to upgrade to the Induro finish.
Rustic European Oak Examples
Rustic European Oak | 40mm thick
Rustic European Oak | 40mm thick
Rustic European Oak | 40mm thick
Rustic European Oak | 40mm thick
Rustic European Oak | 40mm thick
Premium French Oak Examples
Premium French Oak | 52mm thick
Premium French Oak | 52mm thick
Premium French Oak | 52mm thick
Premium French Oak | 52mm thick
Premium French Oak | 65mm thick
Premium French Oak | 52mm thick
To summarise, our Premium French Oak table tops are perfect if you’re looking for something natural but very refined. It’s the highest quality oak on the planet, and being made from a single tree results in an undeniable statement piece.
It’s also worth noting that French Oak trees of this calibre are becoming incredibly difficult and expensive to source, so pieces of furniture like this will likely become quite rare in the not-too-distant future. Read more about our Premium French Oak tops here.
Our Rustic European Oak is an extremely high quality but a more affordable alternative that will last you forever, and like our French Oak, comes with our full Wood Movement Warranty. Read more about our Rustic European tops here.
Wood Movement Warranty
Natural timber products undergo changes as they acclimatise to their environment. Our products are meticulously designed and produced to minimise the likelihood of noticeable issues. However, given the inherent nature of timber, it’s impossible to eradicate the risk of wood movement completely. As such, we offer a Wood Movement Warranty for your assurance.
From the moment a tree is cut, the timber starts adjusting to its surroundings, a process that persists even in your home for the first 12 months. During this period, temporary changes in the timber, like cracks appearing and disappearing, can be observed due to expansion and contraction. Once this initial year concludes, should you find any noticeable issues resulting from the wood movement, we will service the table at no cost.
This warranty is in place to ensure that you end up with a piece of furniture that will stay looking good for the rest of your life.
Creating Your Dream Table
I hope this has helped clarify the main differences between our Premium French and Oak and our Rustic European Oak.
Once you’ve chosen the perfect table top, you can compare our range of table leg designs here.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@abacustables.co.uk or on 01494 573170.