I want to thank Wayne van Zwoll (aka WvZ) for his exclusive Campfire article, "The Walnut You Never Knew," which can be found on our New Campfire Home Page.

This thread is the place to ask Wayne questions about the article. Thank you, Wayne, and thank you, Campfire.

Rick

Bump for launch.

Thanks to Rick for posting and Wayne for writing "The Walnut You Never Knew". I enjoyed every word.

Good article.

Nice wood , really, really nice wood gets harder and harder to find.

Thanks Wayne, very well done on a great topic. Long live good walnut and blues steel (and scopes sans batteries!).

Blair

Nice article. Thanks for posting!

Thanks for the article. My go-to hunting rifle is walnut, complete with full length aluminum bedding block. Best of both worlds.









Two stocks from the same tree, but finished over 50 years apart.

Thanks Rick, that point out is appreciated. Very good article.

Wayne van Zwoll, thank you for writing "The Walnut You Never Knew." I thoroughly enjoyed reading such a well organized, clearly and concisely expressed body of information. Well Done!

Thank you for the kind words, TwentyTwo. It's hard not to like walnut! .... Wayne

[quote=prm]Thanks for the article. My go-to hunting rifle is walnut, complete with full length aluminum bedding block. Best of both worlds.

Thank you, PRM. Nice images! Best.... Wayne

Much obliged for the note, GF1. The old can become timeless..... Wayne

In the past three decades that I have been paying attention to rifles, walnut was the norm with almost all factory rifles, they the plastic "tupperware" stocks became fashion as the accountants could see more profits from a finished stock coming from a mold instead of a blank that needed layers of fit and finishing. Next I observed McMillan and Manners becoming the norm, not the exception. At one time, I owned five Win 70 Supergrades, I couldn't resist the nicely grained stocks of such affordable rifles. In the end, I sold them off as my interest moved to other areas but they were very nice for the money. Wayne, you mentioned Dakota Arms in your article and I had the good fortune to live in a town at the time that had a nice gun shop with a full inventory to DA 76 rifles and single shots as well. I never owned one but I got to handle and have a close look and they were exceptional. The smith who assembled most of my rifles is a member of the ACGG and I got to see first hand some of his work. I consider blued steel and walnut to represent the artistry of the trade and will always appreciate heirloom grade firearms. Thanks Wayne for the interesting and informative article.

Wane you said it best, synthetic stocks have no soul. I readily admit to being a first degree wood whore. Here is a sampling of builds I have had done. 275 Rigby built on a VZ24 action <a href='https://postimg.cc/ftypPY72' target='_blank'><img src='https://i.postimg.cc/pTJvpZmH/IMG-0781.jpg' border='0' alt='IMG-0781'/></a>
<a href='https://postimages.org/' target='_blank'><img src='https://i.postimg.cc/1RMPSvx0/IMG-0790.jpg' border='0' alt='IMG-0790'/></a><br /><a href='https://postimages.org/'>upload photos free online</a><br /> A 35/55 on a High Wall Gunner's Gun a VH Parker 20 ga that was completely redone honoring My Little Buddy Gunner image upload A Ruger #1 7MM/08

I'm waiting on a blank and the donor rifle (another #1) for a single shot build I'll The Covid 19 Gun

Here's the Rigby as it didn't come through the first time <a href='https://postimg.cc/ftypPY72' target='_blank'><img src='https://i.postimg.cc/pTJvpZmH/IMG-0781.jpg' border='0' alt='IMG-0781'/></a>

A 6.5x55 Manlicher I looked long and hard to find a blank with any figure the entire length who is pokimane

Not the greatest photo, but I have one of Don Allen's rifles, crafted before Dakota Arms was launched. 7X57



Some years ago I was doing work on the side for a millwork shop in central Florida. Very top end work and they used a wide variety of wood from the span of the planet. Africa, South America, Asia and even the US of A. The work was not related to gun stocks, but I'm curious if there is a reasonable alternative to walnut that serves the purpose while still carrying some esthetic value.

One thing I do know is that there are some crazy wood patterns growing out there.

Zebra Wood


Cocobolo


Parota


And more, much much more....

Dan, holy smokes is that a sweet 7x57! Gosh darn what a well built rifle, looks quite handy as well!

I'd bet they'd make nice looking stocks, but I am better they are heavy. I have used those to build furniture and man, they are DENSE! Same for Brazilian Cherry, another very nice wood, but dense as all get out. Be cool to see them if weight wasn't as big a factor.

Wow!

Some really fine walnut here. I really enjoyed the article, the posts and pictures.

Regarding exotic woods mentioned, some of those are really heavy. Also how well they cut and carve is always a big deal. Walnut has been a classic winner on all counts. It's strong, not overly heavy (compared to some), it mills and cuts well and is relatively stable. Some of those exotic woods are hard to dry and cure, may not be that stable regarding changing shape over time, etc..

Walnut has been the standard forever, it seems, and for a good reason.

DF

For several reasons.

Back when I was making stocks as a sideline to writing, another stockmaker friend and I made a winter road trip to visit yet another stockmaker who lived in a remote part of north-central Montana--which is pretty remote in itself. But this guy also dealt in stock wood, so we stopped to see him, in between hunting winter varmints. Among his other stuff was a full-sized blank of very dark ebony--which weighed 80 pounds! I suspect he kept it merely as a curiosity, because he'd had it for far longer than required for "curing"....

That slab of ebony, probably worth a few bucks. It's not too unlike rosewood, heavy and oily,

When I work with those woods, I generally soak the part in acetone to remove excess oil. Then it's more likely for a tung oil/urethane finish to take.

DF

Great article. I enjoyed every bit of it. Fine craftsmanship on wood stocks is something I will always appreciate. Hopefully there will always be fine stock makes out there to carry on the tradition.

When I was a forestry student in Oklahoma one of my best friends was absolutely taken with bois d'arc wood (aka hedge wood, aka osage orange, aka Maclura Pomifera). I helped him make bows out of it. He had a SMLE sporter he even carved a bois d,arc stock for. After dozens of coats of Tung oil he had the shiniest, yellowest, heaviest stock I had ever seen.

Good article.

Not all the walnut cut in the old days went for gun stacks and furniture. I'm told that Lincoln's house in Springfield, Illinois, is framed up partly in walnut. I've also heard that some considered walnut fence rails to be the best.

Well yes, there are other things to consider. Imagine a .300 Roy feeling like a .22 LR when you pulled the trigger! I'll bet by the time you got that ebony pared down to shape it wouldn't weigh much more than 35-40#. Are we mice or men?

As I read the article I thought if the Pachmayr collection of wood that was lost in the fire.

Great gunsmiths.......

Building the size of a football field ........filled with blanks.

They had been buying since the 20s

Took the heart out of the old man.

Gone ......irreplaceable.........

Thanks for the great article. I always enjoy your wordsmithing..

I just finished rereading one of your several books that I have. Deer Rifles & Cartridges.

I find I always appreciate a good book several times. Is it just my age ?

Better fence post wood than for guns stocks.

It is hard and heavy. Makes a good club.

DF

Excellent firewood too.

Excellent article as are all of his. Wayne has an eloquent writing style and the experience to back it up. He wouldn't remember me, but we both worked for the same organization for a brief period back in about 1991. I thought he was a knowledgeable gentleman then and his writings since have only reinforced that opinion. His articles are always a pleasure to read.....looking forward to next one!

I met him at an annual NRA meeting in Pittsburgh a few years ago. I asked him for his autograph and he seemed a little surprised but was gracious enough to give me his autograph which I still have. My take on him is that he is a professional but a bit modest. He is, along with Mule Deer, one of my favorite gun writers.

Great article, Wayne. I love the look and feel of walnut, to the point where I have only two out of thirty-some synthetic stocked rifles. Have managed to avoid other syns.