Oaks are trees widely spread throughout Europe, in Germany sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and English oak (Quercus robur) are the most common deciduous trees of this genus. Oaks are a symbol of eternity and durability, they usually grow very old, just as their wood is a very resistant wood and is therefore highly esteemed. Oak wood is one of the highest quality and most valuable woods of domestic forestry. The wood is very hard, heavy and durable (except for the sapwood). It is used extensively for doors and windows, floors and parquet flooring, as construction timber in house building, in water and shipbuilding, for barrels, mills and machines. The somewhat softer wood of sessile oaks is also used for woodturning, sculpture and other handicrafts, as solid wood and as veneer for furniture. Its open-pored grain with striking Medullary rays when radial cut has made it increasingly popular on the market, and the rustic appearance of oak wood interspersed with coarse knots and checks is becoming increasingly popular as a contrast to the boringly perfected veneered furniture surfaces at the end of the 20th century. These pieces come from an old stock.
