We offer Premium California English Walnut and Bastogne Walnut Stock Blanks 

DRYING VS AGING
GRADING
PRICING
ORDER FORM

DRYING VS AGING
As a Gunmaker, I’m more concerned about the age of a stock blank than the moisture content. Here in the Sierra foothills the humidity is rather low. It is not unusual for a 2-3/4 inch thick blank to register a moisture content of 8-12% in a mere 6 to 8 months of drying time. Would I dare to use a blank at this stage? No Way! But why not? The meter says it is dry.

First of all, most moisture meters will only read to a depth of approximately 1". But, just as important if not more, the wood has not de-stressed or stabilized. This de-stressing is something only time can accomplish. In my opinion, 30 months from the cut date is minimum aging time. Unfortunately, there is a lot of wood being sold as ready that is probably only a year or so old - far to immature for carving. Use of one of these immature blanks can result in an unstable stock, inletting which “opens up” leaving unsightly gaps, and other problems. If you’re unsure of a blank’s age, date it and set it aside for future use.

Many of the blanks we now have in stock were cut in May of 1999. They’re a year or so from recommended use, but the selection is very, very good. We do have some aged blanks in stock - be sure to specify.

GRADING
We have a rather complex grading system, but I feel it gives us a more consistent way to judge each blank. Here’s what we consider when looking at a stock blank.