In the context of furniture, the term kerf refers to a narrow groove or slit made in a piece of wood or other material. This groove is typically created by sawing or cutting into the material, and it is often used for various purposes in furniture-making. The kerf can be used to insert different elements like splines or decorative accents, or it can act as an allowance for expansion and contraction of the wood. A saw cut. On curved work a series of saw cuts againts the grain, permitting the bending of the wood into curves.