Chestnut Tree

[Northwoodstrapper]

I was wondering if anyone has seen any Long rifles built using chestnut. I was reading a story about the vast amount of chestnut trees harvested in 18-19 and early 20th centuries The article stated that there was an estimated 4 billion tress in the colonies. It was assumed that more chestnut was timbered than maple.

 

[Eric Krewson]

My dad used to cut the dead American chestnut snags where we lived in east Tennessee in the 50s and make wormy chestnut lumber for picture frames. The wood is soft, much softer than maple. There is a TN rifle in the Lenor Museum in Norris TN where I grew up that is stocked with chestnut so it was used for this purpose.

In a previous thread where this was discussed, one person had stocked a rifle with chestnut from salvaged barn wood (I think), they found it soft but usable.

Historians have since recalculated the abundance of the American chestnuts in America before the blight, they were plentiful but didn't comprise 30% of the trees in the forest like was once stated. I think the figure is around 10% after the recalculation.

 

[Northwoodstrapper]

Thanks Eric for the info. We had 2 huge chestnut trees in our yard going up. We played a kind of dodgeball with the green chestnuts. It hurt if hit. You learned to be a good and quiet when hiding.

 

[Eric Krewson]

The blight didn't cross the Rockies, I understand Oregon has unaffected trees that early settlers planted.

 

[Jim in Wisconsin]

I am confused about chestnut trees and buckeyes. When I was a kid in Wisconsin there were lots of what we called chestnut trees that had big green nuts in the fall. Under the green skin was a real nice looking dark brown nut with a white "eye". People talked about eating chestnuts but the ones we had were extremely bitter. Like Northwood said, they were great for throwing though!
I don't think there is a single tree like that here now - were these chestnut trees or buckeyes or are they the same thing?

 

[Eric Krewson]

Buckeyes, growing up in east Tennessee carrying a buckeye in your pocket for good luck was common. Buckeye trees don't get very big, any chestnut trees in your area would be Chinese chestnuts, these are not deep woods forest trees and tend to grow like a giant rounded bush of a tree about 30' tall.