Source for european walnut?

[Hemorad]

I'm about to launch into a new project--a wheellock jaeger-style short rifle. I'm trying to find a good source for a fairly straight-grained piece of English/european walnut (a blank) long enough for a short fullstock jaeger. Most of the online sites I've visited have only halfstock-length pieces, loaded with wild marble-cake/striped figure, and costing a small fortune. I wouldn't mind a little figure in the butt, but don't want to distract from my carving. Straight grain would do! Anyone know a source?

Hemo

 

[Capt. Jas.]

try DUNLAP WOODCRAFTS

 

[Hemorad]

Thanks, Capn., I'll give them a look.

Hemo

 

[rabjr]

http://www.gobywalnut.com/

 

[Hemorad]

Thanks, Swampy, I saw their site previously and they do have a possible piece I have my eye on.

Hemo

 

[Rifleman1776]

Googling will bring up several sources. Be prepared to pay a hefty price. Why European walnut? We have lots of great walnut in the U.S.

 

[Hemorad]

American black walnut simply isn't the same as european walnut (Juglans regia). American variety has coarser grain and I believe is generally darker. I have used American walnut in an English flint pistol I made some years ago, and it didn't look bad, but as long as I'm investing substantial $$$ in buying a wheellock lock, and a pricey swamped jaeger barrel, I want to make the wood as authentic as possible!

Hemo

 

[alex efremenko]

I bought a piece from Dunlap a couple monthes ago. Low end ,strait grained,some sapwood,long enough for a 44" barrel,I had $200.00 in it.don't be in a hurry either,it took over 2 monthes to get to Knob Mt :td: .The same size in a top grade piece from him would run about $400.00
And your right its not the same.I always enjoy working with it. Let me know if you find another reasonable source.

 

[rich pierce]

I agree Dunlap is a good source. I picked up a wormy but interesting English walnit stock blank from Dunlap last year at Dixon's ML Fair. Got a great deal, will build a trade gun.

 

[Hemorad]

Hey, Alex,

As far as not being in a hurry, there's no problem. The wheellock lock I ordered is from The Rifle Shoppe in Oklahoma. My first order from them. From what I gather on online posts, getting parts from them is a matter of deep faith and patient, hopeful waiting. I also hear, though, that if they do ever deliver, parts are top quality.

Hope to glean enough scraps from the blank to replace some wood on an old original jaeger I have which has lost about two inches off the nose of its stock and some upper wood next to the barrel channel. Another reason to go with real european walnut--I want everything to match.

Hemo

 

[Robby]

A nice piece of English or European walnut is a joy to work with. Dunlop is the man to call, tell him what you want and he will tell you what he has. When you get it, it is exactly the way he describes it, uncanny!
Robby

 

[Hemorad]

An e-mail to Dunlap is on the way!

Hemo

 

[rich pierce]

Calling them works really well.

 

Googling will bring up several sources. Be prepared to pay a hefty price. Why European walnut? We have lots of great walnut in the U.S.

That might not be the case for much longer.
American Walnut is going the way of the American Chestnut and the American Elm.

 

[Stophel]

That might not be the case for much longer.
American Walnut is going the way of the American Chestnut and the American Elm.

Really???? Is there some kind of blight or disease or bug that's destroying the walnut trees??? That would be news to me.

 

[alex efremenko]

I can make a couple calls and have all i need for gunbuilding,home remodeling and fooring.

 

[Rifleman1776]

American black walnut simply isn't the same as european walnut (Juglans regia). American variety has coarser grain and I believe is generally darker. I have used American walnut in an English flint pistol I made some years ago, and it didn't look bad, but as long as I'm investing substantial $$$ in buying a wheellock lock, and a pricey swamped jaeger barrel, I want to make the wood as authentic as possible!

Hemo

Your choice, of course. Several years ago I tried to go into the stock making/duplicating business. (failed, cheap duplicating machine ) I found several sources for imported walunt out of California. Fine blanks were very-very expensive, as high as $15,000.00. Good luck.

 

[Hemorad]

$15,000 is a bit out of my league, but I expect I can find something suitable in the $200-300 range. Those super-expensive pieces of Circassian or odd hybrid walnut tend to have very wild figure in them, which I don't want anyway.

Hemo

 

[Stophel]

European Walnut that I see on German guns, whether wheellock, flintlock, percussion, or bolt action, is generally very plain, and usually light in color, sometimes more brown. Of course, if it's cut from the stump, it will be all burly, with grain going every direction, and darker brown in color. Otherwise, it seems to be often not very highly figured (though it does sometimes have some curl). I have yet to find anyone offering stock blanks like this. I wonder exactly WHERE most of the "European/English" walnut that is sold today for stock blanks actually comes from.... My educated guess would be that the majority come from California and Oregon.

Otherwise, a GOOD quality piece of American Black Walnut would probably be as good an imitation of European walnut as some of the black-and-tan-stripey highly figured "English" walnut for sale. Though it might not carve as nicely as genuine central European walnut...

 

[LaBonte]

I wonder exactly WHERE most of the "European/English" walnut that is sold today for stock blanks actually comes from....

Much of it comes from Turkey, the Caucuses, Greece, Italy, and other SE Euro/Mediterranean areas as noted....