It's important that you understand what grade of wood you are selecting for your home or project, as this may dramatically alter the look you are trying to achieve. Don't rely on terms like 'character grade' 'country grade or 'rustic grade' as a general rule of thumb, as each manufacturer will specify what's in that particular factories grade.
Here is a very brief description of what you can expect to see in your chosen grade, but its always best to call or ask for a picture just to be certain you're not in for any surprises.
Prime Grade
Prime grade wooden floors are considered to be very clean in appearance with very few knots and much less colour variation than the lower grades of wood. Any knots will be strictly limited to pin knots and the occasional knot up to 12mm. Prime grade wooden floors do not contain sapwood.
Classic Grade
Classic grade wooden floors will have more character than prime grade wooden floors. They can contain sound and cracked knots up to 35mm in diameter and dead knots, which will be filled, up to 15mm in diameter. Again, this grade contains no sap wood.
Rustic Grade
Rustic grade wooden floors are full of character, colour variation and knots. They may contain sound and cracked knots up to 60mm in diameter and dead knots, which will be filled, up to 25mm. Rustic grade wooden floors will also contain lighter sap wood on up to one third of the plank as well as some limited bark pockets.
