How many kinds of Walnut?

[Steve Kennedy]

How many kinds of Walnut are there? The last couple of pieces I got started out kind of purple.
I know it's Walnut because it smells like walnut.What kind is the deep dark rich 'WALNUT" color??

[Fred Belknap]

Steve The purple coloring is usually caused by metal in the wood. Be sure to check it carefully. I'm not sure how many kinds of walnut there is but black walnut and claro walnut come to mind, claro is from grafting, some consider butter nut a walnut, it is similar but lighter color. There probably is a connection with the type of soil and the color of walnut. I was told by a timber person that the black walnut from around here is darker than walnut in other parts of the state. Most of this is just hear say, so take it as that.:confused::)

[Prashun Patel]

There are more actual varieties of walnut than you probably care to know about. But, most of what I come across is either black walnut from the US, black walnut from Europe, or Claro Walnut from the Pac Northwest.

I've had purple pieces before. I believe it's from the wood not being fully dry. Also, a lot of walnut we have here is steam dried, which bleaches a lot of that color out and leaves us with greyish pieces that machine to light brown. When you get a finish on it, it'll darken right up. There IS a diff between air dried and steam dried when finished; it can be a little redder. But both get significantly richer when finished. Oil finishes will warm up steam dried walnut to an extent.

IMHO, that purple coloring (I've even seen some greens) is highly desirable. I think it's a real testament to the walnut's magic.

[phil harold]

Black walnut is purplish to dark brown and varies tree to tree
claro walnut is where the root stock and persian walnut have been grafted for walnuts that we eat, from California

there is a an english walnut too

yours is more than likely Black Walnut

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Phil,
You are correct. There is an English walnut. I was given a piece a while ago. It looked kind of dull compared to black walnut until I oiled it. What a difference that made. Now it has hues of light browns through dark chocolate. It is very pretty.
faust

[Jon Nuckles]

Black walnut will give up the purple juice if it is spun at high rpms when very wet. I have ruined a few t-shirts that way. It will also migrate into the sapwood when spun fast, thus changing your designs mid-stream.

[David E Keller]

I've seen Turkish walnut as well, but I don't know that it's a different species... Very popular with the gun makers and such.

[Toney Robertson]

The walnut family (Juglandaceae) in North America encompasses a lot more trees than one would think. That includes:

Ten different Hickories.
Pecan.
Butternut = White Walnut = Oilnut.
Plus Two different classifications of Walnut.
Little Walnut = Texas Walnut = Nogal
Black Walnut = Eastern Black Walnut = American Walnut.

Per my Audubon Field Guide - Eastern Region.

[ray hampton]

some people classify pecan with the hickory tree
if pecan and walnut are the same family are walnut and hickory from the same family

[Cody Colston]

Black Walnut is more an Olive green when freshly cut. It will then take on a purplish cast if air dried but will eventually turn that chocolate-brown color usually associated with Walnut. The color can vary greatly from tree to tree and even within the same tree.

[Toney Robertson]

some people classify pecan with the hickory tree
if pecan and walnut are the same family are walnut and hickory from the same family

All are from the Walnut family.

[Steve Kennedy]

Thanks guys, I turned a bowl then hit it with BLO. To my surprise the dark Walnut color was there. I'll see if I can get a picture up today. That Purple color sure threw me a curve:)

[Chris Burgess]

I have a Walnut family that lives next door..........well maybe not Walnut but they sure are NUTS

[John Keeton]

For what it is worth, eventually the Black Walnut will lighten from the chocolate brown you are seeking to a more amber brown.

[Scott T Smith]

The way that black walnut is dried can make a significant difference on the color. Air dried BW will have the darkest colors (typically borderline purple).

There are three different methods of kiln drying in use - low temperature dehumidification (DH), high temperature conventional, and vacuum drying. Low temp DH drying is very similar to air dried, the colors will be dark and vibrant (with the exception of when steam is injected at the end of the cycle for conditioning). Conventional (High temperature) kiln drying walnut will have more of a brown color, and when steamed it becomes a muddy brown color.

I have not seen vacuum dried walnut, but my guess would be that it is similar to DH.

[Curt Fuller]

I've turned walnut from the same tree that varied so much in color and figure that you wouldn't even think it was the same kind of wood, let alone from the same tree. The black walnut that I get locally is somewhat darker than most I see posted. I have no idea why, but I would guess that soils, climate, etc all play a part in it.