American oak timber handles buying guide
American oak is the pale, straight-grained oak that most Australian joinery uses, and an American oak handle is the natural partner for oak, timber and painted cabinetry. This page holds American oak timber handles, also searched as oak handles, oak cupboard handles, oak wardrobe handles and oak kitchen handles. It also answers the other question people type: what handles suit oak cabinets. The listing here is the Momo Handles Fitzroy, an arch pull cut from American oak and offered raw or oiled. The guide explains what American oak is and how it differs from Tasmanian and English oak. It covers what raw and oiled mean on a handle, which finishes sit well against an oak cabinet, what the Fitzroy measures, how to size a pull and how to look after the timber. For timber handles in every species, start at timber cabinet handles.
What American oak is
One timber supplier explains that the trade name American oak covers eight oak species grown on the eastern side of North America and sold under one name. A national wood industry guide describes American white oak as having pale yellow-brown to mid-brown heartwood, sometimes with a pink tinge. The grain is mostly straight, the texture medium to coarse, and the growth rings are visible. The wood is hard and heavy, at about 750 kilograms per cubic metre when seasoned, with good overall strength. A second supplier lists the colour as pale yellow and light gold to mid brown, with a traditional ring figure similar to European oak.
The working properties matter for a handle. According to the same industry guide, American oak machines well, glues, nails and screws easily, and polishes to a good finish. A timber supplier adds that it responds very well to stains and polishes, and recommends simply oiling it to show its natural colour. Shrinkage is about 6.6 per cent tangentially and 3.2 per cent radially, which a third supplier calls low, so American oak is less affected by seasonal change than many timbers. For a small piece of timber on a drawer, that stability is the useful part.
American oak, Tasmanian oak and English oak
Three timbers share the word oak, and they are not the same. Tasmanian oak is not a true oak but a trade name for three almost identical eucalypts, Eucalyptus regnans, delegatensis and obliqua. One supplier describes it as pale, straw-like to light brown, with a fine, even, straight grain, and another says its density is moderate, a balance of strength and workability, and that it is more prone to scratches and dents than denser hardwoods. American oak has higher density and greater resistance to wear, scratches and impact, and its grain is more prominent and varied, with cathedral patterns and occasional mineral streaks and small knots.
English or European oak is the third. A supplier notes that American oak is similar in colour to European oak. For a handle the practical difference is small: American oak is the cleaner, more uniform choice, and Tasmanian oak is paler and softer. A handle in American oak will take daily use on a drawer better than the same shape in a softer timber. The Tasmanian oak and reclaimed oak handles on this site are covered on the timber page above.
American oak against European oak, walnut and ash
A UK timber merchant compares European and American white oak in terms a handle buyer can use. European oak is a warm, honey-like medium brown and usually a little darker, while American white oak is a lighter tan with pinkish and yellow hues, and it varies more from board to board. European oak has a wavier grain with more knots and swirls, and American white oak has a straighter, more uniform grain, with its visual interest coming mainly from colour variation. Density is roughly 675 kilograms per cubic metre for European oak and 759 for American white oak, and Janka hardness is 1,120 and 1,360 pounds-force. Both are strong and scratch-resistant, and American oak is slightly harder.
The merchant also says European oak resists expansion and contraction and is less likely to warp, which it presents as better for bathrooms and kitchens. American white oak, it says, has larger pores, admits more water and is prone to warping over time. An Australian supplier calls American oak shrinkage low. The two views do not agree, and neither is about a small oiled handle. The sensible reading is that American oak is a good indoor handle timber, but not the best choice for a handle that lives in a steamy room without ventilation.
A furniture maker compares American oak with Victorian ash and walnut on the Janka scale. American oak scores 6 kilonewtons and is the hardest of the three, walnut scores 4.9 and Victorian ash 4.8, and all three, the maker says, are fine for furniture. American oak is blonde to light brown with tight grain lines that range from wavy to a tiger-stripe pattern. Victorian ash is blonde, light brown and pink with a straight, open, even grain, and walnut runs from light brown to dark chocolate brown, with fine grain and swirls. Oak is therefore the hardest and the lightest of the three, and walnut the darkest. For walnut, see walnut timber handles.
Tasmanian oak sits below American oak on hardness. A furniture timber supplier gives Tasmanian oak a Janka hardness of about 4.9 kilonewtons and American white oak roughly 6.0, and warns that the Tasmanian timber can dent under careless use. Bold ray flecks show in quarter-sawn American white oak, where Tasmanian oak has a quieter grain. The same supplier notes that dents in oiled finishes can often be raised with a damp cloth and a warm iron. Both suit a Scandi-coastal look.
Strengths and limits
American oak is a good handle timber for the reasons above, being hard-wearing, stable and easy to finish. It also has limits, and the suppliers state them plainly. One says it has a short lifespan below ground and outdoors, and is susceptible to lyctid borers and termites, so it needs proper treatment. That is a point about structural timber and not a small handle on an indoor drawer, but it explains why oak handles belong inside the house. The national guide agrees that the heartwood is susceptible to lyctid borers and is not resistant to termites. Keep oak handles on indoor cabinets, and do not use them on an outdoor kitchen or a garden gate.
Oak also reacts to water. A cabinet maker's care guide calls water the main enemy of wood, and advises wiping up spills at once, not hanging wet towels on cabinet doors, and keeping humidity steady through the year. In a bathroom, an oiled American oak handle on a vanity drawer is reasonable if the room is ventilated, but a raw one is not.
Light, colour and ageing
A furniture timber supplier explains that ultraviolet light breaks down the lignin in the surface of Tasmanian oak, so the timber gradually moves toward richer golden-amber tones. Most owners come to like this. A water-based polyurethane with UV inhibitors slows the change, oil-based finishes speed it up, and rotating objects on a surface prevents pale shadow lines. That page covers Tasmanian oak and not American oak, so treat it as an indication for oak in general. Separately, a wood industry guide notes that American black walnut heartwood lightens with age, especially with UV exposure. Timber handles in general are worth keeping out of strong afternoon sun if you want them to stay as they are.
Raw or oiled
The Fitzroy is offered in a raw or an oiled finish. Raw leaves the bare timber with no added coating, and oiled means a natural oil has been soaked into the grain. A supplier recommends oil as the finish that shows oak's natural colour. For a kitchen, a laundry or a vanity, where hands and water are constant, choose oiled. For a dry wardrobe or a bedroom dresser, raw is acceptable, and you can oil it later. If you are unsure, oiled is the safer choice.
Oak handles ask for a little care. The cabinet maker's guide says to polish every few months with a natural oil-based product, applied lightly and along the grain. It warns off silicone sprays because they leave a residue, and says to use the maker's recommended product for the finish. Limiting strong sunlight reduces fading.
The Fitzroy arch pull, measured
Every figure below comes from the product listing. Hole centres are the gap between the two screw holes, and overall length is the full length of the timber.
- The Momo Handles Fitzroy arch timber handle is available in two sizes: 100mm overall on 32mm centres, and 150mm overall on 64mm centres.
- The listing says it is designed and hand crafted in Australia, in a modern contemporary design, and that it comes in American oak, blackbutt or walnut, raw or oiled.
- The listing does not state a projection, a width or a screw length, so check the specification sheet before you order if the space in front of the handle is tight.
Read the numbers. The 100mm size on 32mm centres is a small handle with close fixings, a shape that suits a narrow vanity drawer or a small door, and the 150mm size on 64mm centres suits a standard drawer or a door up to about 400mm wide. Both are short. For a wide drawer or a pot drawer, a longer pull in oak from the timber collection is the better choice. See arc shaped cabinet handles for other curved shapes, and cabinet pull handles for bar pulls.
The same maker's other oak pulls are on the timber page, and they run from short D handles to tall-door pulls. The Hinoki D handle is 220mm overall on 160mm centres, the Hako D handle is 188 to 998mm overall on centres of 160mm and up. The Luv Wood D handle is 183mm on 160mm centres, and the Sydney pull is a 400mm elliptical pull on 256mm centres. See Momo Handles premium cabinet handles for the brand.
What handles suit oak cabinets
People also search for the reverse: handles for oak cabinets. One US blog offers advice, and it is advice and personal opinion and not research. The blog says polished nickel contrasts subtly with the warm undertones of oak, which gives a balanced look without being flashy, and that brass pairs with oak's natural warmth and suits a glam or classic kitchen. Rustic black iron suits rustic or traditional kitchens, while a sleeker chrome black contrasts with oak in a modern or minimalist one. Gold pairs with neutral white oak, and modern silver stands out against white oak and against bright golden oak. In the blog's view, chrome black and gold create the most striking contrast and polished nickel the most subtle.
A hardware retailer adds general rules that apply to any wood cabinet. Brushed brass is warm and elegant and pairs well with white or navy cabinetry, matte black is bold and modern and works best where tones contrast, and satin nickel is versatile. The retailer also says to use the same finish through the home, to limit each room to two metals, and to match or contrast on purpose. For the finish pages, see black cabinet handles, brushed brass cabinet handles, brushed nickel cabinet handles and white cabinet handles.
The call is simple. If the cabinets are oak, an oak handle gives a quiet, tone-on-tone result that is gentle and natural, and a metal handle gives contrast. Choose the tone first and hold a sample against the actual door in natural light, since oak varies from pale to honey. The timber retailers agree: Entry Point describes timber as warm, tactile and quiet against painted joinery, and recommends it for Japandi, coastal and Scandinavian rooms.
Choosing the size
Hole centres, and not overall length, describe handle length. A sizing guide puts a pull at commonly about one third of the drawer or door width, as a guide and not a strict rule. A second retailer gives the same rule, and adds that pot drawers and pantry doors take longer handles of 250mm or more, and that smaller handles or knobs suit upper cabinets.
The sizing guide then gives the steps. For drawers up to about 400mm wide, a knob, a short pull or a compact bar usually looks balanced, and for fronts of about 450 to 700mm, 128, 160 or 224mm centres are frequently right. Wider fronts take 256 or 320mm centres, or two pulls placed symmetrically. A typical starting point for placement is 40 to 60mm from the door edge to the centre of the fixing.
If you are replacing handles, measure the centres of the holes you have. The placement guide on this site says a 128mm handle will not fit 160mm holes without drilling new holes, which can leave marks on a painted or veneered front. A retailer says to match the existing centres unless you plan to fill the old holes. Many handles include screws for 16 to 18mm cabinet boards, so check your door thickness. If you buy screws separately, note that a UK timber merchant recommends stainless steel fixings with oak to avoid colour leaching from the timber.
Where to put the handle
Centre the handle on a drawer front. On a base door, place it near the top corner on the side opposite the hinges, and on a wall door near the bottom corner. One retailer gives the general rule as horizontal handles on pull-out drawers and vertical handles on doors, and says to make sure handles do not hit each other when cabinets open. Put painter's tape where the handle will go to compare sizes, and check that fingers have room to grip. Another source advises holding a handle against your cabinet and checking the grip, including for larger hands or arthritic fingers. For a handle on a room door, see interior door handles, and for the cabinets, bathroom vanities.
How to care for American oak handles
The care is the same as for any timber. The cabinet maker's guide says to dust with a microfibre cloth and to wash high-touch areas with mild dish soap in warm water, while bleach, ammonia, steel wool and scouring pads are out. Cleaner should never be sprayed directly onto cabinets, and the cloth should be sprayed instead. Wipe up spills at once, ventilate steam, and keep humidity steady. A raw handle needs more care than an oiled one, because it has no added barrier. Dry any handle that gets splashed, and re-oil the grip every few months if you use it daily.
A short checklist before you order
- Choose oiled for kitchens, laundries and vanities, and raw only for dry rooms.
- Choose the timber for the cabinet: American oak for a pale natural look, walnut for contrast, blackbutt for the lightest.
- Measure the centres of your existing holes, and choose a handle about one third of the drawer width.
- Check the specification sheet for projection and screw length.
- Hold a sample against the door in natural light before you order a set.
For other timbers, see blackbutt timber handles and walnut timber handles, and for the full range, cabinet handles.
