Walnut is a hardwood also known as American black walnut, American walnut, Canadian walnut, black hickory nut, gun wood, canaletto, nogal, and tocte. It grows in the United States and Canada.
Grain: Generally straight grained with a moderately coarse, uniform texture.
Color: Rich dark brown heartwood and nearly white sapwood.
Characteristics: Moderately heavy, hard, strong, and stiff, with good decay resistance and dimensional stability. Works very well with machine or hand tools. Excels at turning, molding, routing, shaping, carving, and drilling. Prized in North America for high-end cabinetry and furniture. Ideal for gun stocks due to dimensional stability and ability to absorb recoil. Also used for decorative panels and veneer, interior joinery, novelties, carving, turnery, boat building, clock cases, and musical instruments.
Finishing: Sands easily and finishes to a velvety, natural-colored sheen. {Return to Woods page}