European walnut: a fine furniture wood.

There are two main commercial species of walnut important for furniture and cabinetry: American black walnut (Juglans nigra), which was discussed last month, and "generic" European walnut (Juglans regia). European walnut can be considered a "generic" term because the species is further named by the country of origin: English, French, Italian, etc.

To further confuse its users, European walnut is not always found in Europe. It is also grown in Asia Minor and southwest Asia. In fact, Asia is the first home of Juglans regia. The Greeks took the trees first to Italy and transplanted them all over Europe. The Romans are credited with introducing it to England by the year 1 AD, according to "The Encyclopedia of Wood."

The royal wood

Juglans regia translates to royal walnut, a fitting name since European walnut is considered to be one of the finest furniture woods. It is used for high-end furniture, cabinetry, turnery and carving. Like American black walnut, it is used for rifle butts and gunstocks and is popular for sporting goods.

"From the Renaissance onward, walnut (European) became the most popular timber for furniture, especially in the Low Countries," writes Luke Hughes in the book, "The Encyclopedia of Wood." "The paintings of Dutch interiors by Vermeer are heavily populated with elegant pieces. The English used it only rarely, until the advent of the Huguenots, who fled the religious persecution on the Continent during the second half of the 16th century. They brought with them their artisan skills and their love of walnut."

To put things in context, during the Puritan era, decoration, including furniture, was frowned upon. Oak was the popular furniture wood because of its starkness. "Indeed, Flemish and Continental styles were banned after the execution of Charles I in 1649, but the restoration of Charles II brought with it the tastes of his French and Dutch hosts-from-exiles," Hughes writes.

According to Hughes, the years 1660 through 1720 were known as "The Age of Walnut," when English furniture styles influenced designers all over the world.

"It was also a time when the art of veneering reached new heights, principally because the timber that produced the most attractive figure tended to be structurally unsound. It was common to glue thin slices of attractively figured walnut on to a groundwork of plain but sound timber like oak or pine. Burrs and curls were the most prized, cut from cancerous growth on the side of the tree and where branches fork," Hughes says.

American vs. European

Another reason for European walnut's popularity is its lighter, more variable color, as compared to American black walnut, which usually has a dark to purple brown heartwood. The heartwood of European walnut will vary in color and markings based on its area of growth. In general, however, the wood is a gray-brown, with distinct color shadings of light to dark brown or sometimes black streaks. And unlike American black walnut which darkens with age, European walnut generally turns lighter with age.

Other European walnuts

One of the more popular European walnuts is French walnut. This wood is very light in color, with a less varied grain pattern. Very little of the French walnut is exported; however it is considered a fine furniture wood and it is very similar in working properties to American black walnut. French walnut is usually paler and lighter in tone than English walnut.

English walnut is one of the darker and harder of the European walnuts. Another European walnut, Ancona, is an Italian walnut, known for its highly figured and variegated wood.

Circassian walnut comes from the Caucasus at the Black Sea, which explains another name for European walnut - Black Sea walnut. Its markings tend to be darker and more wild than other European walnuts. Many believe that the best burr walnut comes from the Circassian walnut.

Carpathian walnut refers to the trees from the Ukraine, Russia, Czechoslovakia and Germany. Other less hardy walnuts are sometimes called Persian walnuts.

Other walnuts of note include Juglans cordiformis or Japanese walnut; Juglans mandshurica or Manchurian walnut, which grows in Korea; Juglans australia, the walnut of Australia: and Juglans neotropica, the walnut from Peru.

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Family Name

Juglans regia of the Family Juglandaceae

Other Names

European walnut, French walnut, English walnut, Italian walnut, etc, Ancona walnuut, Circassian walnut, Persian walnut and Black Sea walnut.

Height/Weight

In favorable growing conditions the average height is 80 to 100 feet with 2- to 5- foot diameters. Average weight is 40 pounds per cubic foot.

Properties

European walnut has medium bending strength and resistance to shock loads. It has high crushing strength, low stiffness, and is very good for steambending. Material seasons well if done slowly. Thicker material will honeycomb if rushed during seasoning. An excellent carving wood, it works well with hand and machine tools. Nails, screws and glues well. It can be polished to a high sheen.