For independent furniture makers waney edge furniture is a commercial lifeline. It's fashionable but the big manufacturers can't compete, so the market is left to independents. I'll make at least half a dozen tables and desks like this each year,
I could sell more, the problem is sourcing
wide boards of sufficient quality. When it comes to waney edge furniture width is critical.
Ideally you want a single board wide enough for your project, for a console or coffee table that's 600mm, for a desk that's at least 750mm, and for a dining table that's 1200-1500mm. It varies by species, but generally a 300mm wide board is above average width, so you can see how difficult this all becomes!
You can increase the width by book matching, but this only works if you have two sequential waney edged boards from the same log. Personally I don't really like book matched waney edged tops, but given the dire shortage of ultra wide boards it's sometimes the only solution. Another option is to rip a waney edged board down the middle and let in one or more boards in the centre; as far as I'm concerned that doesn't look great, so it's not something I do. But many makers have concluded this is their only practical option, and I have to concede, they still seem to find buyers!
Timber yards know it's a seller's market, with plenty of people hunting for the best desk and table sized waney edged boards. So if you find something for less than £300 or £400 then it's almost certainly faulty in ways you might not be experienced enough to recognise. Add in stupendous grain or a really desirable timber species and the price for the very best sawn tops can climb over £1,000.
If you're still interested then you should try English Woodlands Timber in Sussex, Timberline in Kent, Surrey Timbers near Guildford, Moss & Co in West London, or Tyler Hardwoods in Wiltshire.
If you want pippy Oak then English Woodlands is probably your best bet,
http://www.englishwoodlandstimber.co.uk ... e+-+newest
Good luck!
