Barber polling may be avoided in rift-cut oaks by specifying slip match. By slip matching each leaf all of the "tight" sides are of similar porosities. Therefore, the barber pole phenomena does not exist.

The visual effect is a grain figure which repeats but these is no grain match at the joints. This eliminates barber poling. In slip matching, the visual effect is symmetrical patterns created by the way the veneer leaves are matched at the joints. This yields maximum continuity grain. One issue that can occur at times with slip matching is the appearance of a "lean" door. As the photo below illustrates, the repeated grain pattern can cause the door to appear lean or un-square.