SPECIES: American Walnut

Appearance

Color: American walnut heartwood ranges in color from a deep, rich dark brown to a purplish black. The sapwood ranges in color from nearly white to tan. The difference between heartwood and sapwood color in American walnut is significant. The wood is often steamed to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, although it is usually not as dark as the heartwood at the wood's finish thickness. There is a great variety of color and figure within various species of American walnut, as well as significant variation in color among boards in lower grades and from material that has not been steamed prior to kiln drying.

Grain: The grain pattern is mostly regular and open, with some boards exhibiting a burled or curly grain. Arrangements of pores in the grain are similar to the pores found in hickory and persimmon, but are much smaller in size.

Workability

American walnut has excellent machining qualities. It sands satisfactorily without problems in finish. Due to its deep, rich color and reflective quality, American walnut is frequently used as a highlight material for borders and other inlay applications.