Juglans nigra

Black Walnut

American Black Walnut is the chocolate-brown hardwood that built mid-century furniture. Imported into European yards as kiln-dried slabs, it works cleanly and finishes to a deep, warm tone that ages well.

Premium import, sourced outside EuropeFamily: Juglandaceae

Tree

Native to the eastern United States, not Europe. KORENA sources kiln-dried slabs through established North American timber channels and lands them in EU yards already at furniture moisture content. Expect FAS or better grading on slab stock, with provenance tied to a specific US mill or broker.

Wood appearance

Heartwood ranges from chocolate brown to a purplish or greyish brown, often with darker streaks. Sapwood is pale cream — usually steamed at the mill to even out the contrast, but you'll still see some on wide slabs. Grain is generally straight, though figured boards (curl, crotch, burl) turn up regularly and command a premium. Medium, even texture takes detail well.

Chocolate to purplish-brown heartwood
Pale cream sapwood, often steamed for uniformity

Mechanical properties

Density (kg/m³)	560–660 kg/m³
Janka hardness (N)	4,100–4,900 N
MOR: modulus of rupture (MPa)	100–110 MPa
MOE: modulus of elasticity (GPa)	11.0–12.0 GPa
Radial shrinkage	5.0–6.0 %
Tangential shrinkage	7.5–8.5 %
Volumetric shrinkage	11.0–12.5 %
Natural durability (EN 350)	Class 2 — Durable

Working with it

1 = difficult · 5 = excellent

Easy across the board. Sawing, planing, sanding, turning and carving all rate 4 out of 5. Glues and screws without complaint. Steam bending is the one weak spot (3/5) — workable for gentle curves, not the species you'd choose for tight bentwood seating. Sharp tooling keeps the surface clean; dull blades will burnish rather than tear.

Sawing
Planing
Sanding
Turning
Carving
Gluing
Screw / nail hold
Steam bending

Drying

Slabs arrive kiln-dried to roughly 8–10% MC. Movement in service is moderate — radial 5.0–6.0%, tangential 7.5–8.5% — so wide tops still want a breathable build (breadboard ends, slot-screwed cleats, or fixed-and-floating fasteners). Acclimatise to your shop for two to three weeks before final flattening.

Finishing

Finishes beautifully with very little fuss. Hard wax oil and Danish oil deepen the brown without muddying the grain; a thin shellac seal coat helps if you're spraying lacquer over oily patches. Sanded to 180–220 it feels silky in the hand. Black walnut lightens slightly with UV exposure over the first year — the opposite of cherry — so a UV-inhibiting topcoat helps on pieces near windows.

Durability and safety

Class 2 — Durable
Food contact safe
Dust irritant: wear PPE

Walnut dust contains juglone and is a known respiratory and skin sensitiser. Run a dust extractor at the source and wear a P3/FFP3 mask when sanding. Juglone-laden offcuts and shavings are toxic to horses and to some plants (tomatoes, apples), so don't compost or use as bedding. Cured finished surfaces are food-contact safe.

Best uses

Live-edge dining and conference tables
Mid-century-style casework and credenzas
Dark-toned kitchen islands and breakfast bars
Desks and writing tables with figured tops
Gunstocks, knife scales and high-end tool handles
Turned bowls and hollow forms
Hand-carved sculpture and relief panels
Food-safe serving boards and charcuterie platters

Pairs and substitutes

Pairs well with

Often substituted for

Sourcing and sustainability

Premium import, sourced outside Europe
IUCN: LC — Least Concern

IUCN Least Concern, no CITES listing. Decay class 2 (durable) but this is an indoor wood — the value is in the colour and workability, not outdoor performance. As a North American import, the supplier chain-of-custody back to the mill travels with the slab. EUDR due diligence is in preparation and becomes mandatory for large operators from 30 December 2026, and KORENA is building each slab passport to carry the provenance evidence a buyer will need.

Buyer questions

Is Black Walnut a good choice for furniture?

Black Walnut is best matched to projects such as Live-edge dining and conference tables, Mid-century-style casework and credenzas, Dark-toned kitchen islands and breakfast bars, Desks and writing tables with figured tops, Gunstocks, knife scales and high-end tool handles, Turned bowls and hollow forms, Hand-carved sculpture and relief panels, Food-safe serving boards and charcuterie platters. The final choice should consider grain, finish, movement allowance, and the room where the piece will live.

How hard is Black Walnut?

The listed Janka value is 4,490 N and the density is 610 kg/m³. Use these as comparison signals, not as a guarantee of how a finished surface will wear.

What should I check before buying Black Walnut slabs online?

Check measured length, width stations, thickness, drying method, moisture notes, colour variation, defects, and origin. Compare the measured outline against the finished drawing before reserving the slab.