Walnut

Scientific Name: Juglans Nigra

Other Common Names: American Walnut, Eastern Black Walnut

Walnut, sourced from the central and eastern U.S., is celebrated for its deep, rich tones and complex grain patterns. This hardwood’s natural beauty, displaying colors from light pale brown to a deep chocolate, often with purplish undertones and dark streaks, is ideal for luxurious statement pieces. Walnut is perfect if you desire some contrast, from deep rich dark tones in the heartwood to a sapwood that is almost white.

Straight-grained with occasional irregularities, Walnut is as functional as it is beautiful, easy to work with for machining, nailing, and gluing. It’s favored for its bending properties and stability in furniture, flooring, and cabinetry, maintaining shape and smoothness over time, with high shock resistance adding to its lasting value.

Machining
Sanding
Finishing
Gluing
Fastening

Screwing/Nailing

Quick Fact:

NWH Walnut is steamed to enhance the chocolate brown heartwood and darken the sapwood.

What’s Walnut Used For?
  • Cabinetry
  • Furniture
  • Shotguns/Rifle Stocks and Forends
  • Millwork
  • Flooring
Why Walnut?
  • Luxurious dark color
  • Excellent structural integrity
  • Unique grain enhancement
  • Superb molding capability
  • Exceptional finishing
  • Bespoke luxury choice

NWH Appalachian is available as PEFC certified, FSC Mix Credit, FSC Controlled Wood or PEFC Controlled Sources.

How Does Walnut Compare To Other North American Hardwood Species?

Lumber
(12 % moisture content)
MachiningSandingFinishingGluingFastening/
Nailing/
Screwing
Weight
per bdft
Specific
Gravity
(Density)
Hardness
(Janka)
Bending
Strength
(MOR)
Bending
Stiffness
(MOE)
Dimensional
Movement
(Shrinkage)
R (%)
Dimensional
Movement
(Shrinkage)
T (%)
Alder101010972.45.415909,8001,3804.47.3
Ash9109863.56.611,32015,0001,7404.97.8
Basswood10109882.50.374108,7001,4606.69.3
Beech8810883.69.641,26014,9001,7205.511.9
Cherry10910973.07.5295012,3001,4903.77.1
Hickory377334.14.671,82013,7001,7304.98.9
Hard Maple9810943.73.641,45015,8001,8304.89.9
PC Maple9910952.74.5085010,7001,4503.77.1
Soft Maple8910953.19.5595013,4001,6404.08.2
Red Oak (Northern)10109973.64.631,22014,3801,7614.08.6
Oregon White Oak999884.34.721,64010,2001,0904.29.0
White Oak (Eastern)9109773.94.681,35014,3801,7624.48.8
Poplar9810962.81.4354010,1001,5804.68.2
Walnut989773.36.561,01014,6001,6805.57.8
Yellow Birch10810823.53.621,26016,6002,0107.39.5

Grades Available

Tailored for Appalachian hardwoods, NWH’s proprietary grades focus on structural integrity and dimensional consistency—helping you optimize yield, cutting efficiency, and overall value.
3 Grades Available
Walnut Prime yields at least 83-1/3% clear-face cuttings and 66-2/3% on the back. Minimum cutting si...
Applications
  • Cabinets & Entry Doors
  • Casegoods
  • Furniture
NWH Walnut #1 Common is graded higher than typical NHLA standards and is steamed to enhance the choc...
Applications
  • Cabinets
  • Panels
  • Casegoods
Walnut #2 Common is designed to yield shorter cuttings with the best face yielding a minimum of 50% ...
Applications
  • Panels
  • Drawer Fronts
  • Picture Frames
  • Flooring
  • Small Specialty Items