How to distinguish real black walnuts from fake ones!

The furniture industry has always had no shortage of high-end wood, and black walnut from North America is one of them. In the market, black walnut has always maintained a very hot popularity and is often seen in solid wood furniture.

Black walnut furniture

Why does black walnut command high prices? Why has it become such a well-known high-end wood? This is closely related to its superior properties. Known as the "King of American Hardwoods," black walnut is known for its resistance to decay, cracking, and smooth finish when made into furniture.

Furthermore, black walnut is now an endangered species, and its price has been rising year by year, reaching tens of thousands per cubic meter. Given the high price of raw materials, it's no surprise that the furniture made from them is also expensive.

The high price of black walnut has created a business opportunity for criminals. Substituting other woods for black walnut is commonplace. What are some common "fake black walnuts"? How can you tell the real thing from the fake? What are some characteristics that imitations can't replicate? Don't worry, this article will explain them one by one.

Case: Real and fake black walnuts

Real and fake black walnut

Even among professionals, not many can directly guess the correct answer. The correct answer is: the left side is fake wood (ash wood) imitating black walnut, and the right side is black walnut wood with original wood wax oil.

Ash (imitation black walnut)

Real black walnut

In other words, the grain pattern alone can be used to distinguish real from fake black walnuts. So, how do you actually tell the difference? Are there other ways to tell the difference?

Generally speaking, there are several ways to distinguish true from false.

1. Look at the texture

Generally speaking, black walnut has a finer grain, while ash has a wilder texture. So, what are the specific grain patterns of black walnut? Don't worry, we've compiled the six major grain patterns of black walnut for your reference. Some counterfeit black walnuts don't have these six grain patterns at all.

The "six major grains" of black walnut

The allure of black walnuts largely comes from their patterns and grains, the six common patterns listed above. Grain identification is also the most intuitive way to identify black walnuts.

In addition, if there is wool material, it is easier to distinguish. The heartwood ranges from light brown to chocolate, with brilliant colors and distinct layers; while the sapwood is milky white, with strong contrast and a sense of jumping.

Black walnut rough material

2. Look at the paint

Before using paint to distinguish true and false black walnut, we first make a basic classification of paint. Here, paint is divided into open paint and closed paint.

Open varnish is a finish that maximizes the visual and tactile qualities of the substrate. It's often used on coarse-grained materials like North American black walnut, elm, and red oak. Wood wax oil and water-based varnish are examples of open varnish, and are also common finishing methods for black walnut.

Black walnut with wood wax oil

A closed finish is the opposite of an open finish. It can leave the base material visible, or completely cover the surface. When you touch it, you feel only the paint, not the wood.

Sealer

The wood's texture and six major grain patterns make sealer unsuitable for black walnut. Applying sealer to black walnut is like silver plating on gold, wasting its inherent value. Therefore, sealer-coated black walnut is definitely not genuine black walnut. The simplest and most intuitive way to identify black walnut is by its finish.

Open paint (left) and closed paint (right)

Black Walnut Paint Craft

Some readers might ask: Are there companies that use sealer varnish on black walnut? The answer is no. If there really are companies that use this "gold-on-silver-plated" method, it would be a complete joke.

"Fake black walnuts" commonly used by merchants

In the above case, ash wood was used to create "black walnut." In fact, ash wood is also a common material for "fake black walnut." So, are there other varieties of fake black walnut that are commonly found on the market?

ash

Generally speaking, other woods commonly used to imitate black walnut include ash and catalpa. Ash has clear, beautiful grain and a pleasant luster, making it suitable for imitating precious wood species. Black walnut, on the other hand, has a natural, distinct color and texture, rather than a uniform chocolate brown.

Fraxinus mandshurica

It’s worth mentioning that although ash is cheaper than ash, the two belong to the same family and have similar properties, so it’s not surprising that both are used to imitate black walnut.

Catalpa wood has a similar pattern to black walnut, but black walnut has dense pores along its growth rings, while catalpa wood lacks these dense pores. Furthermore, catalpa wood is slightly softer than black walnut, which is another major difference between the two.