Walnut, American – Total Wood Species Guide

PROS: Well, if you can afford it this wood has it all. Very dark to medium brown in color. It has a wonderous grain pattern that will never bore you. The close grain pattern varies from straight to wavy to curly. Walnut varies a lot in color, figure and grade. Dark stained oak is its nearest imitator and doesn’t even come close. Quite durable and similar to cherry wood in its dent resistance. Highly figured in some of the cuts. It is widely available as feature strips, inlays in parquet patterns as well as strip and plank. It is one of the most prized North American hardwoods. It is moderately dense but very hard. It sands and finishes very well. It is excellent at holding just about any stain evenly. It cuts, nails and takes to glue very easily. Walnut is a very stable wood.

CONS: As you can guess this stuff is very expensive and when large quantities are needed it must be special ordered well in advance. Other than it being a bit softer than oak (as if that is the standard) I can’t find any fault with this wood.

TREE FACTS: American walnut is also known as black walnut. Black walnut used to be a common tree in old growth forests. It has become scarce because it is such a highly prized wood. It is a flowering tree that is part of the hickory family. American walnut is grown in eastern North America.