European Walnut, English Walnut, French Walnut, and Circassian Walnut; White Walnut, Butternut, and Black Walnut.
PROPERTIES:
The tree's thick, dark brown to brownish-gray bark has marked ridges. Walnut's distinctive leaves measure 1-2' in length and carry a dozen or more leaflets. In spring, flowing catkins emerge on branch twigs. In mid-summer, nuts appear. Walnut's heartwood varies from a purplish-brown with thin, dark veins to gray-brown and even orange-brown. The narrow sapwood tends to be white. Unfigured walnut has straight, somewhat open grain. Figured walnut fiddle back, burl, stump, and crotch feels coarse-textured. A cubic foot of dry walnut weighs about 39 pounds, making it just a little heavier than cherry.
USAGE:
Walnut remains a favorite for furniture, paneling, musical instruments, turned bowls, relief carvings, and sculpture. Veneer proves popular in parquetry and as furniture accents. Walnut's shock-resistance, strength, and stability, also make it perfect for shotgun and rifle stocks. Black walnut trees are also planted for ornament and are cultivated for the wood and for a dye found in the fruit husks.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Black walnut rates as classic cabinet stock not only because of its eye-appeal, but because you get good results with either hand or power tools. Walnut works best for sculptures and large figures with simple lines, or signs and relief carvings.
PLEASE NOTE:
This sample is representative of the color and grain of our cabinetry finishes, but it is best to remember that because no two trees grow alike, that variations in grain and color can be expected in your cabinets. Color and grain differences in wood are caused by variations in the mineral content of the soil, changes in the climate, or amount of moisture and injuries to the tree as it grows. Every wood specie will also display certain specific characteristics in with age or mineral streaks. While these marks and variations provide the character and beauty of each species, they could occur sporadically throughout your cabinetry. These samples are intended to give a general idea of the appearance, please stop by our showroom to examine samples of these woods with various finishes before making the final selection for your upcoming project. If you have any further questions, call us and speak with one of our sales representatives.
