Walnut & Grading Guide
Why Circassian walnut
Juglans regia — known as Circassian, Turkish, English, or French walnut depending on where it grew — has been the first choice for gunstocks for over two centuries. It's the same species in every case; what differs is climate and soil. The walnut we import grows slowly in the cold, harsh highlands of Anatolia, often from trees more than 200 years old, which produces dense wood with rich color, dramatic figure, and an exceptionally fine, tight grain.
That tight grain is not just beautiful: it's what lets a stockmaker cut crisp checkering at up to 32 lines per inch — finer than any other gunstock wood will hold — and it keeps the stock stable through decades of weather and recoil.
How our grades work
Every blank we sell is photographed individually, and the photos are of the actual blank you receive. Grades describe figure, color, and contrast — structural soundness is a given at every grade. If an internal flaw is ever discovered while carving, we replace the blank free.
| Grade #1 | Straight-grained, little figure. Honest working wood for hunting rifles and everyday guns. |
|---|---|
| Grade #2 / #2+ | Noticeable color with some streaking or light figure, especially through the butt. |
| Grade #3 | Solid figure and good color contrast across most of the blank. The sweet spot for many custom builds. |
| Grade #4 / #4+ | Strong marble, fiddleback, or feather figure with vivid contrast — wood that draws attention at the range. |
| Grade #5 | Exhibition grade. Dramatic, dense figure through the entire blank. The best trees give only a handful of these; our featured auctions usually come from this shelf. |
Current prices are on each listing in the shop — grade alone doesn't set the price; size, layout, and figure placement matter too.
Minimum dimensions
| 1-piece blank (rifle) | 32″ × 2.1″ × 6.75″ |
|---|---|
| 2-piece blank — butt | 18″ × 2.1″ × 6.5″ |
| 2-piece blank — fore-end | 14″ × 2.4″ × 2.4″ |
Most listed blanks exceed these minimums; exact dimensions are on each listing. If you need something specific — Mannlicher lengths, matched pairs, or oversized blanks — get in touch: our warehouse holds far more than the site shows.
Grain layout
For strength, the grain should run parallel through the grip and flow forward through the fore-end. We photograph every blank so you can judge the layout yourself, and we're happy to discuss how a particular blank suits your project before you buy.