Walnut is often referred to as the Rolles Royce of woods and Claro Walnut as being the Silver Cloud. It is the most desirable in terms of color and figure and it is the tree that the most spectacular Walnut burl comes from, the kind of burl used for the dashboards in exotic cars. There is some confusion and lack of consistency about the history of Claro Walnut. Some sources say it is a hybrid planted by the Spaniards when they established the missions in California. I believe Claro Walnut is native to four areas in California, all within about 200 miles of San Francisco. The Hybrid is actually a natural mutation from when the more palatable English Walnut is grafted onto the hardier Claro Walnut root stock. About 1 out of 1000 nuts that fall and germinate will be this mutated variety which has wood that is both lighter in color and harder than either of the parents. In use Claro Walnut is a dream, it does everything, it slices, dices, chops, and chives. Ok I made up that part about the chives. But it really is an exceptional wood and would be the #1 choice for most projects if cost were not a factor. It is the wood of choice for competition gun stocks because of its ability to absorb the shock of the bullet firing. Claro walnut dries well and once dry is more stable than Hard Rock Maple. It takes any kind of finish and works in any way you can dream of. The one draw back? I am allergic to the the dust from it and for most wood workers they will develop an allergy if they work with it long enough, the oil is an irritant to the lungs and requires the use of dust suppression and a respirator when cutting or sanding. The inconvenience is well worth the results though. The wood I have came from an exceptionally large tree growing in the back yard of a house in Sunnyvale California and was threatening two homes. The tree was approximately 140 years old and when I milled the bole I milled for crotch figure, the remaining wood is curly. I think it is some of the finest figured Claro Walnut I have seen and definitely of instrument quality. My reserve of this wood is limited and pending current commissions both in the works and in negotiations any future projects may be limited to focal point panels, inlay, and trim.
©Robin Corell 2005