doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Walnut Question

I know English Walnut is generally regarded as tops for stocks but, how do others such as american black walnut, circassian, bastogne, etc. compare in performance?

I am not an expert; however, I have used most varieties in gunstocks and other projects. The one thing I know is generalizations can be dangerous. Some English may be porous and "softer" than some American black. A lot has to do with the individual tree, climate, soil conditions, etc.

My favorite is English and it varietals (e.g. French). I have had some excellent American, Turkish and Bastogne has some wonderful traits for hardness. Ok, I like them all if they are properly laid out, have small pores, straight grain wrists and great figure!

Jim

Kilibru;

The short answer- Any Juglans Regia walnut is a good starting place for your project. Juglans Regia includes: English, French, Moroccan, Greek, Australian, Russian, Circausian, Turkish,California English, etc.....Where the nut is grown is the name that is associated with the wood.

jjwag69 gave good advise on the lay out,pores, you be the judge of the figure. I have been building stocks for a long time now. I have used almost all of the popular stocking woods. As long as they are laid out correctly I have used them for gunstocks. Again your taste in wood is important. Lay out and grain flow are MOST important...NOT which walnut it is.

Understood, seek out juglans regia in general but concentrate on grain flow and layout. What key characteristics do you all associate with a blank being laid out correctly?