Cat's paw figure
BRE (Building Research Establishment) is an independent, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, operating in the built environment and associated industries. A guide to the use of urban timber (FB 50) was written by Geoff Cooper and published by BRE on 31 July 2012.
The guide suggests that cat's paw figure is.
| A series of small burrs scattered over the main trunk which appear as small groups of closely packed buds on machined faces giving rise to the figure known as 'cat's paw', a condition which is most often seen on European oak, Quercus robur. |
| A 'burr' is an irregular-shaped swelling or excrescence found most often on the lower main trunk, but also on branches and rootstocks of a range of tree species. A burr can take on several forms: it may consist of clusters of expanding slow-growing epicormic buds or be formed from a distinct series of irregular contorted swirls. |
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