Black Walnut Dirk Handle

**Kilted Carver** · 27th March 10, 02:28 PM

I LOVE black walnut!! Very nice to work with and it is soooo beautiful when finished. Heres the pics:
This set is after the carving and sanding,

And here it is finished:

Mating with me axe,

Thanks for looking......

**longhuntr74** · 27th March 10, 03:03 PM

You are a true craftsman, my friend! All the way!

**piperdbh** · 27th March 10, 05:24 PM

Now you're talking. Black walnut's my favorite wood, and my brother is installing a floor of it in his house.

Very fine carving. Thanks for posting it.

**BoldHighlander** · 27th March 10, 05:36 PM

Beautiful!

I too like Black Walnut. In fact I have a roughed out rifle stock in English Black Walnut to eventually be used for an 18th century German jaeger rifle project

**Kilted Carver** · 27th March 10, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by BoldHighlander

Beautiful!

I too like Black Walnut. In fact I have a roughed out rifle stock in English Black Walnut to eventually be used for an 18th century German jaeger rifle project

That sounds very cool. I'd like to see that.

**BoldHighlander** · 27th March 10, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by Kilted Carver

That sounds very cool. I'd like to see that.

It'll be a while yet ($$$ - for lock & barrel etc), but as it comes about I'll send pics your way

**Tobus** · 28th March 10, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by BoldHighlander

Beautiful!

I too like Black Walnut. In fact I have a roughed out rifle stock in English Black Walnut to eventually be used for an 18th century German jaeger rifle project

I've refinished several stocks from black walnut, and they are among the most beautiful stocks I've ever seen. They were fairly commonly used up until a few decades ago, not only for their beauty but for their strength. Nowadays you really don't see too many stocks made from walnut any more (and the ones you can order are very expensive). I'm told that this is because the "old growth" black walnut has been all used up.

At any rate, walnut is a fine wood and the dirk looks great!

I'd suggest planting it in a pot, and when it grows into a sapling big enough to transplant, plant it for good in the woods somewhere. As it grows up and bears nuts of its own, the squirrels will "plant" them all over the woods and in several years they'll have a new walnut grove and permanent food supply.

I'm fairly certain that walnut trees take several decades to actually bear nuts. They are a very slow-growing tree and must mature before they produce. So I wouldn't get in any big rush to make plans for this walnut grove to seed itself!

**Kilted Carver** · 28th March 10, 02:06 PM

Thanks for all the kind words, and now I know about the downfalls of planting walnut trees!

I get more educated everyday.

**Mike M.** · 4th April 10, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by BoldHighlander

Beautiful!

I too like Black Walnut. In fact I have a roughed out rifle stock in English Black Walnut to eventually be used for an 18th century German jaeger rifle project

If you don't mind me asking, did you get it from Dunlap Woodcrafts? My father used to buy component sets from them.

**BoldHighlander** · 4th April 10, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by Mike M.

If you don't mind me asking, did you get it from Dunlap Woodcrafts? My father used to buy component sets from them.

To be honest I'm not sure of the original source, other than I was going to have a Tennessee riflesmith (Ryan MacNab) make the rifle for me. Only we had to put the project on hold for 1 yr, and then (despite my deposit) he raised the price on me....
so, long story short I severed our deal & had him ship the roughed stock to me (plus a chunk for the patchbox lid).

I know he roughed it out of an English Black Walnut blank. As to where he acquired it, I would only be guessing

Sorry.