Black Walnut

[Thillmaine]

Whats the market price for black walnut these days. I just took down a huge one today and the stick is still standing? I was thinking abou tgiving it to a mill or selling the wood.

 

[curdy]

Define 'huge' and I think you'll be more likely to get some feedback.

 

[aquan8tor]

Whats the market price for black walnut these days. I just took down a huge one today and the stick is still standing? I was thinking abou tgiving it to a mill or selling the wood.

Around here, it depends on where you're buying it. If its "retail", maybe $3.50+ for clear top grade, but I've seen a lot of people with personal mills selling for 2-$2.50/bd ft. on craigslist.

 

[slabmaster]

I,ve seen it sell anywhere from 3.50 on up to 6.50 a board foot.Alot depends on the way it's cut and how clear it is.Some people pay alot if it's cut different than what's usually available. Some gun makers buy it for stocks for good money if it's thicker than at the mill. A guitar builder might pay good if it's real wide.Mark

 

[woodshop]

Whats the market price for black walnut these days. I just took down a huge one today and the stick is still standing? I was thinking abou tgiving it to a mill or selling the wood.

Really way too many variables to answer this with anything that would be helpful for you. It's like asking "what is a used chainsaw worth".

If you are a woodworker looking for walnut for the shop, if you are smart you will be asking under what conditions it was (will be) dried. If you dry wood too fast or incorrectly you can damage the board on the inside and it will look fine from the outside until you rip it in half on your tablesaw and it starts to twist up like a pretzel before you get halfway down the board due to internal stresses. It's called honeycolming. Oak especially tends to get these little pockets of what looks like "torn" fiber and wood in the board when air dried too fast.

So what's it worth? Anywhere from 50 cents a bd ft to $5 a bd ft, leaning towards the bottom of that range unless it was carefully kiln dried and it's FAS. (firsts and seconds... high grade lumber). IF I was in the market and in your area, I might offer you $50 or $75 for the log, but it would have to be a premium log.

 

[lumberinspector]

Walnut weather it is a low grade sawlog or a veneer, it is worth a fair amount of money.

Bottom of the line sawlog is bringing around a 1.00/bf and veneer it may be worth 4 or 5.00/bf in the log.

The lumber market in a whole is tight but Walnut is still up there.

There is a guy in my area that sells FAS Walnut,Unsteamed,No Sap for 15.00/Bf. It is KD also.