Walnut

European walnut can be considered a generic term because the species is further named by the country of origin: English, French, Italian, etc.

European walnut is considered to be one of the finest furniture woods. It is used for high-end furniture, cabinetry, turnery and carving. It is also used for rifle butts and gunstocks and is popular for sporting goods.

Its popularity is its lighter, more variable color. The heartwood will vary in color and markings based on its area of growth. In general, however, the wood is a gray-brown, with distinct color shadings of light to dark brown or sometimes black streaks and tends to lighten with age.

French walnut is light in color, with a less varied grain pattern; English walnut is one of the darker and harder of the European walnuts; Italian walnut is known for its highly figured and variegated wood; Circassian walnut, also known as Black Sea walnut, markings tend to be darker and more wild than other European walnuts and many believe the best burl comes from Circassian walnut.

European walnut has medium bending strength and resistance to shock loads. It has high crushing strength, low stiffness, and is very good for steambending. Material seasons well if done slowly. Thicker material will honeycomb if rushed during seasoning. An excellent carving wood, it works well with hand and machine tools. Nails, screws and glues well. It can be polished to a high sheen.