Woodworking: What To Know About Walnut Wood

Walnut is one of the most popular domestic woods for woodworkers of all skill levels. Widely available in the U.S. and considered a premium domestic hardwood, its very presence seems to elevate the perceived value of your woodworking projects.

A real delight to work with hand tools, it also machines easily and finishes beautifully. I will walk you through everything you need to know about walnut so you have the confidence to use it in your next woodworking project.

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• What Is Walnut Wood?
• Types of Walnut Wood
• The Pros and Cons of Walnut Wood
  • Pros
  • Cons
• What is Walnut Used For?
• Walnut Wood Cost Purchasing

What Is Walnut Wood?

Walnut is by definition a hardwood. That means it comes from a deciduous tree (i.e. one that sheds its leaves each autumn) called the black walnut, AKA American walnut.

Walnut heartwood has a rich, chocolaty brown color. Other colors can be present, including purples, greens and golds. The sapwood ranges from a pale creamy color to almost white. These color variations are common in fresh timber. However, the kiln drying process can mute them, creating a more homogenous color across the board.

While it is harder to find, air-dried walnut preserves greater color variations and, in my experience, tends to have a slightly more purple tone. Regardless of what type of drying process your lumber went through, walnut is a forgiving wood to work with.

Types of Walnut Wood

The most common walnut species are:

• Black walnut: Often referred to simply as “walnut,” this wood comes from trees that grow all over the Eastern U.S. This wood has good dimensional stability and a Janka hardness rating of 1,010 pound-force (lbf). The Janka rating comes from a test that measures the density of wood species. For context, cherry has a Janka rating of 995 lbf and white oak 1,360 lbf.
• English walnut: Sometimes called European walnut, English walnut is similar in color and workability to its American cousin. I have found the color tends to be slightly paler, more like milk chocolate. It is slightly harder than the American walnut with a Janka rating of 1,220 lbf. Fun fact: English walnut produces the most common form of edible walnuts.
• Claro walnut: Grown in California and Oregon, Claro walnut is used as rootstock in walnut orchards. These orchard-grown trees can result in irregular grain patterns and are sometimes grafted with English walnut branches. That results in vibrant, colorful streaks near the graft, called marbling.
• Butternut: Yes, butternut is a member of the walnut family! While sometimes referred to as white walnut or even poor man’s walnut, don’t let the pejorative fool you: Butternut is a beautiful wood. It has a lovely golden-tan color to the heartwood and is a dream to work with hand tools. However, it’s soft, with a Janka rating of 490 lbf, so be mindful what projects you choose to make with it.

The Pros and Cons of Walnut Wood

Pros

• Availability: Walnut can be found practically anywhere you purchase domestic hardwoods, from distributors to big box stores.
• Color: Those deep chocolaty browns, vibrant purples and subtle greens and golds are truly lovely. When you see the depth of color in a nice piece of walnut, you understand why folks love with this material.
• Workability: If you enjoy hand-tool woodworking, walnut is a joy. It planes beautifully and is forgiving to the cutting edge. It also generally machines well.
• Finishing: There always seems to be magic in applying that first coat of finish to any project, but oiling walnut is an are-inspiring spectacle every time.

Cons

• Price: Walnut is considered a premium domestic hardwood, so be prepared to pay a price for that label. While standard flat-sawn walnut isn’t excessively pricey, any boards with figure or sought-after irregularities can drain your wallet quickly.
• Color changing: While walnut is beautiful, it’s also photoreactive and will oxidize over the years to an orange-honey color.
• Durability: Walnut is not soft, but it’s not rock-hard either. It will dent if you’re reckless with it, so beware of small children or animals damaging that expensive walnut slab you’re hoping to use as a dining table.

What is Walnut Used For?

Due to its popularity, walnut is sought out for high-end furniture production, cabinetry, flooring, veneer and architectural mill work.

Walnut Wood Cost Purchasing

Expect to pay from $8 to $25 per board foot, depending on the grade and figure. For comparison, most other furniture-grade domestic hardwoods will cost $5 to $15 per board foot.

While the cost won’t be prohibitive for all beginners, I encourage folks to avoid walnut early on. The price may discourage newer woodworkers for fear of messing up an expensive piece of lumber.

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