Walnut, the aristocrat of woods

Walnut is considered a kind of aristocrat of wood. It was and is used to make luxury furniture and to decorate objects such as the dashboard of luxury cars, yachts, the bed of guns, etc. It is not a rare species, but the beautiful design, the specific colour, the sheen, have made it very appreciated all over the world.

The walnut originated in the temperate zone from the Balkans to Hymalaia and China. It grows both wild and cultivated in forests. In Roman times it spread to western and northern Europe, and in the 17th century it reached America. In Romania, it grows naturally mainly in Oltenia and Banat and cultivated, throughout the country. It is a tall, vigorous tree with a rich crown and smooth, silvery-grey bark.

The beauty of walnut is the combination of its specific colour, interesting design and large pores. It is a fine wood with a beautiful texture. In cross-section, it has an area of light, greyish-white colour, the sapwood area, and a dark, dark brown area with black streaks, the heartwood area.

It has large, visible pores evenly spread throughout the annual ring and filled with blackish substances. In radial section, as in paltin, the medullary rays form numerous mirrors.

Because of the different species of walnut, the colour varies greatly. For example, the European walnut has a lighter, greyish-brown colour,

while the American one is dark brown.

Walnut wood is used both as a solid and as a veneer. As a solid, both sapwood and heartwood can be used, but dark wood is preferred. The problems that can occur with solid wood are cracks. These occur during drying if the recommended cycles are not followed. The whole thing becomes even more complicated when the walnut is dried naturally on the farm. To avoid cracks, certain rules must be followed, which you will find below here.

The veneer has beautiful designs and sometimes shows the area of wavy fibre or knots. There are, however, special veneers made from walnut root.

They are highly prized and are used to make intarsia and to make luxury objects and musical instruments.

Walnut has been used extensively in the past to make furniture. Because it was found in Europe, it replaced mahogany, which was brought from other continents, making it difficult to find and expensive. Walnut wood was the solution, but without losing the value and beauty of the furniture. So in the 18th century, much of the fine furniture was made from walnut.

Because it could bend smoothly under the action of steam, it has been used ever since to make bentwood chairs.

Today, walnut furniture is also highly valued and considered luxury furniture. It's sturdy without being heavy and can be finished without being stained, bevelled and retaining the natural colour of the wood. It is also used to make classic furniture

and the modern one.

Walnut is used to make a lot of objects considered special or luxury: pipes, jewellery boxes, corks for special bottles, special boxes for cigars - humidor, etc.

Although not a rare species, walnut wood is highly prized for its distinctive colour, interesting design and its ability to convey elegance to furniture and objects. Even more popular are walnut wood and veneers made from walnut root because of their unique design with wavy grain, knots and mirrors. Objects made with such wood are sure to attract attention.