Pippy Oak - what are people's opinions?

[Tom]

I've been offered some Pippy Oak for £43 plus VAT per cubic foot.

I've been told (by the seller) that this is a choice piece of Oak and that it's used in the manufacture of cars for dashboards etc.

Conversely, I've been told (by a cabinet maker) that traditionally this was treated as waste and that the current trend for using it (kitchens, furniture etc) is a way of utilising more of the tree to make more profit.

Which of these is true? Is the price reasonable? And what's it like to work with?

Personally, I rather like it. However, I don't want to use it in my house anywhere if it would be out of place, traditionally. I know it's my choice blah, blah, blah but for large pieces in my house I want to make sure, as far as I can, that they are right for the period. I may well have some smaller items made from it (little boxes etc) simply because I love the grain and character of it.

Any opinions appreciated

 

[robgil]

what will you be using it for? repairs?

 

[Tom]

Well, if it's appropriate, I could use it for my kitchen island, cupboard doors, open shelves, small cupboards etc. Only new stuff, really, as any repairs have been and will be done with matching timber...none of which is Pippy.

 

[robgil]

i would say go ahead , how old is the house and is the kitchen a new addition? if it is then its entirely down to whether or not you like it , traditionally speaking would the house have even had a kitchen?

 

[biffvernon]

I use pippy oak for places where appearance is important but structural integrity is not. So internal window boards but not window frames. It can be very beautiful. I pay the same price for pippy and straight grained - £20 to £30 per cubic foot depending on thickness, quantity, delivery etc.

 

[Tom]

The house is 500 years old. The kitchen is all new but none of it will be fitted, nor will there be a uniformity of the pieces. The 'island' will be made to look like a large old cupboard. The house is the old Manor house. Whether it had a kitchen or not I don't know...but I suspect so.

Like I said, I know it's ultimately my choice but I want pieces to look right for the period. Would they have used Pippy Oak 500 years ago in houses like mine? None of my carriage beams, joists, bressumers or lintels are Pippy so I have nothing to match. Maybe that suggests that, for my house at least, it would be inappropriate. But, then again, might they have used it for floors or doors...none of the original of which are left.

 

[biffvernon]

Of course they had pippy oak - but it would (should) not have been used for structural work as it is not so strong. You probably don't find much 500 year old pippy oak about as it's all fallen apart by now.

Now don't go putting anachronisms like electric toasters on you kitchen island, will you?

 

[Tom]

I use pippy oak for places where appearance is important but structural integrity is not. So internal window boards but not window frames. It can be very beautiful. I pay the same price for pippy and straight grained - £20 to £30 per cubic foot depending on thickness, quantity, delivery etc.

Thanks, Biff, that's quite useful to know. For 2" straight grained I'm paying £35 per cubic foot plus VAT, collected. The Pippy was offered as a premium grade and, therefore, a higher price. Maybe I should try to knock him down

Some of the samples I've seen are very beautiful and very pippy. I can imagine that, when waxed, the finished item would look very special. I'm having a small key box made and that will definitely be Pippy, even if that's the only bit in the whole house. I simply have to have something made from it

 

[Tom]

Now don't go putting anachronisms like electric toasters on you kitchen island, will you?

Absolutely not!! Toast will be made on the hotplate of my 500 year old Rayburn...silly!!! :wink:

 

[JoceAndChris]

I think it's very pretty too. But maybe an entire kitchen might be a bit too - well - pippy? Flashes here and there would look lovely.

With the best will in the world, yours is a house with 500 year old elements and modern elements sitting happily alongside eachother. Like all our houses. (though yours has much older bits than mine!) So I really wouldn't worry - even if you wanted to make it all chrome and glass - I think that could work. (though I'd prefer oak too)

 

[Tom]

Joce...glass and Chrome??? Go wash your mouth out!! :lol: :shock:

 

[Tom]

I think it's very pretty too. But maybe an entire kitchen might be a bit too - well - pippy? Flashes here and there would look lovely.

I agree, Joce. I've looked at entire kitchens on the internet and they do look a bit OTT.

I need to have a cupboard/cover made for my fuse board. I think this may well end up being Pippy Oak

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

I tend to use pippy stuff like Biff says, where appearance is of greater importance than strength. So I've used it for table tops, and door panels, but I think it would look wrong used for the frames of cupboard doors, or structural parts of furniture. However, it's all down to personal taste in the end.

As for working with it, it's a bit trickier than straight grained stuff as you can get some tear-out around the pipping when planing. Very sharp hand plane, or cabinet scraper, or (traditionalists look away now...) a belt sander can produce a good finish.

 

[biffvernon]

Yeah, a belt sander has to be resorted to

 

[Tom]

As for working with it, it's a bit trickier than straight grained stuff as you can get some tear-out around the pipping when planing. Very sharp hand plane, or cabinet scraper, or (traditionalists look away now...) a belt sander can produce a good finish.

This is what I was wondering. Thank you so much to everyone for your answers

 

[Penners]

I don't think you should have any hesitation about using pippy oak for your kitchen units, Jaqy, if it's what you like. As Biff said, it can be structurally weaker than straight-grained oak, but is perfectly suitable for non-structural work. Personally, I think it makes very attractive furniture.

I presume you've had a look at a sample of it, have you? If not, the "pippy" description arises from the fact that it has little clusters of knots in in - which look a bit like pips.

As to whether an entire kitchen would look OTT - I think that depends on (a) your taste, (b) the pippiness of your particular batch and (c) the number of doors, etc. that your kitchen would have.

 

[Tom]

I presume you've had a look at a sample of it, have you? If not, the "pippy" description arises from the fact that it has little clusters of knots in in - which look a bit like pips.

Yes, I have a few samples and have just done some wax and oil testing on some of them today. They look beautiful

 

[biffvernon]

Sometimes called 'cat's paws'

It occurs in trees with lots of little side branches, often from hedgerows rather than a close planted wood.

 

[Tom]

That's interesting information. Thanks, Biff

 

[Flyfisher]

Sometimes called 'cat's paws'

It occurs in trees with lots of little side branches, often from hedgerows rather than a close planted wood.

Is it a similar sort of thing to 'burr walnut' ?