doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How old is old wood?

I guess the Beautiful Old Wood thread has run its course. I've always wondered how old the wood on say a double built in 1914 might be. Was the walnut tree planted in the 1700's or the early 1800's? When I look at one of these, you begin to imagine

I have a number of walnut blanks that supposedly came from 100+ year old trees. Several pieces of it are Claro and came from the huge warehouses of Frank Pachmayr. He states in his book that much of his wood came from 100 + year old trees. So, it's not at all inconceivable that a gun built in 1914 might have wood from a tree ini8tially planted pre 1800.

Thanks Chief. It's pretty amazing to look at a 1914 Sauer and realize the stock could have been made from wood that first sprouted pre 1800 somewhere in Europe.

I have two blank sets of English from I bought a few yrs ago from a friend that originally bought them from Pachmayr's in the 70s. Lets see...30 + 100 ... hmmmm..

Logging of old growth forest was still going on in 1914. While European blanks were most likely from planted trees, American blanks most likely were not from plantings. Wisconsin, circa 1900:



Pete

When the TVA cleared the black walnut trees from the Clinch River Valley,Tenn.in 1936,to build Norris Lake (the first TVA lake).An old gunsmith from Knoxville,Tn.hauled the logs off,quater sawed em,sealed the ends and kiln dried the blanks.I have a couple dozen rifle and two piece sets.Since they have been stacked for 71 years I call them my "Old Wood". I am sure they are from old growth.
R.Moon.

seeing that second photograph - although historic - upsets me! I hate to see woodland of this nature clear felled - makes my tummy churn and my eyes water :-((((((((((((((

Jonty