Walnut Sapwood?

[David Westmoreland]

Rt Stock Bolt.jpgRt Bolt Closeup.jpgIs this walnut sapwood? Weatherby says this is a walnut stock according to their records. I always thought walnut was dark but I read some articles that say dark walnut is heartwood white light walnut is sapwood. Just wanted a second opinion for people who are familiar with wood.

[Mel Fulks]

I seriously doubt it. Might be maple.

[Jim Becker]

Certainly possible based on the second photo. More close up views that show actual wood grain and pore structure would be helpful for folks wanting to assist.

[Jamie Buxton]

Saw it. Walnut has a very distinct odor.

[Mel Fulks]

My doubt is just based on “never seen that before” . What some call “incontrovertible science”.

[Tony Joyce]

Weatherby Vanguard?

[Rich Engelhardt]

My Marlin 60 has a similar look to the first picture.
Mine is Birch.

I love the figure on the 2nd picture.


Yeah - no way that's Birch - not after seeing the closeups.

[David Westmoreland]

Mark XXII. 22 auto.

[Steve Demuth]

If it's walnut, it looks more like English Walnut (Juglans regia), which can be pretty white mixed with that sort of figure, than North American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra​) sapwood.

[Lee Schierer]

It is possible that it is walnut. The brown heartwood will get very light if exposed to sunlight for a long period of time (several years). Sap wood in black walnut is almost white in color. It is possible that the stock was made from sapwood, which would still be walnut.
sapwood.JPG
Here are some photos of black walnut that show the color variations.
walnut.JPG

Note that English Walnut is much lighter in color than black walnut. Here is a photo of English walnut.
english_walnut[1].jpg

[Alex Zeller]

It looks like it the walnut may have been steamed to turn the sapwood brown. By doing so the dark heartwood lightens up while the sapwood will turn brown. Not sure about that first picture though.

[Jim Becker]

It looks like it the walnut may have been steamed to turn the sapwood brown. By doing so the dark heartwood lightens up while the sapwood will turn brown. Not sure about that first picture though.

I feel just the opposite. Lee's photos back up my perception. Walnut sapwood is very whitish and with an oil based finish...typical for that kind of item...it's going to get to be that creamy amber tone seen in the photos. In the second shot, there is darker wood near the top that is very reminiscent of a curlier walnut figure and color.

[Jeff Roltgen]

100% certain from first image that it is, indeed, walnut. Just has about 95% sapwood, but there's no mistaking that grain and pinch of darker heart included.
IMHO, I would have burned it before burning labor forming it into a gunstock, as the confusion here attests - just don't use walnut sapwood, as the average consumer simply cannot understand the lighter cuts. Our brains are hardwired: Walnut = Dark Brown.

[glenn bradley]

I enjoy sapwood as a design element but rarely use it with walnut. Walnut lightens with time and the contrast can get lost without some effort with colorants to preserve the look. BTW, I think the stock looks great. I went out to the stacks to see if I had any walnut with sapwood in it. As luck would have it there was a piece at one end staring right at me. This is just skip planed but may help with the conversation.

With flash.

Walnut-sapwood (3).jpg . Walnut-sapwood (4).jpg

Without flash.

Walnut-sapwood (1).jpg . Walnut-sapwood (2).jpg

[Curt Harms]

100% certain from first image that it is, indeed, walnut. Just has about 95% sapwood, but there's no mistaking that grain and pinch of darker heart included.
IMHO, I would have burned it before burning labor forming it into a gunstock, as the confusion here attests - just don't use walnut sapwood, as the average consumer simply cannot understand the lighter cuts. Our brains are hardwired: Walnut = Dark Brown.

I've never used it or even seen it that I remember but what about Butternut ('white walnut')? That would still probably be called Walnut.