WALNUT
AMERICAN BLACK

APPEARANCE
COLOR: Heartwood ranges from a deep, rich dark brown to a purplish black. Sapwood is nearly white to tan. Difference between heartwood and sapwood color is great; some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.
GRAIN: Mostly straight and open, but some boards have a burled or curly grain. Arrangement of pores is similar to hickories, but pores are smaller in size.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES & GRADES: Great variety of color and figure within species, as well as variation in color among boards, especially in lower grades and from material that isn't steamed prior to kiln-drying.

PROPERTIES
HARDNESS/JANKA: 1010; 22% softer than Northern Red Oak.
DURABILITY: Moderately dense, very strong, good shock resistance. Not as dent-resistant as oak.
SAWING/MACHINING: Easily worked with hand tools, and has excellent machining qualities.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily.
NAILING: Fair resistance to splitting; good holding ability.
FINISHING: Finishes nicely, with a handsome grain pattern.