Yikes Walnut prices

Willemjm

Willem
Corporate Member
Normally wholesale I get prices around 35 - 40% below retail.

This time we had to do a fast 8/4 Walnut counter top and my vendor quoted me $10.50 for FAS. So, I called one of the bigger retailers here in NC and they said $8.50. Still yikes.

Called my wholesaler back and complained about having to go purchase retail. His comment, “Be careful about the grade, our FAS is prime and you get what you pay for.

So we went retail and learnt our lesson. The yield was around 60% and we ended up with a bunch of offcuts.

Ouch, last time I purchased Walnut I got FAS at around $3.50.

Counter top before sanding pic below, and one showing the glue up joint lines.


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7BD142AA-155D-409B-BD37-CF2281415C2E.jpeg
 

Raymond

Raymond
Staff member
Corporate Member
The WIP photo shows good work, Willem. Never have worked with walnut as I am allergic, so I can't really comment on the cost of wood except to say all prices are up; no matter what you are buying!
 

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
And sapwood is no defect, yeah....... Boy you do get what you pay for. Are you going to keep it or buy the other lumber?
 

Keye

Keye
Corporate Member
I was away from woodworking for over a decade and was stunned the first time a went to buy walnut. When I stopped buying wood cherry was more expensive than walnut. Cherry has not changed much like walnut has. Does anyone know what has caused the big increase in the cost of walnut. Guess I will have to find a new favorite wood. When I returned to woodworking I did not intend to start making furniture again. Good thing because I can not afford the wood.
 

Keye

Keye
Corporate Member
Inflation plain and simple.
I was paying less than $3 a bf for walnut and a little over $3 a bf for cherry. I just bought nice cherry for $3.50 a bf and they wanted $8.50 for the same quality walnut. This just seems to me to be more than inflation. The forester I bought this from said he had seen the interest in cherry go down some and the interest in walnut go up. Still?
Thousand Cankers Disease is also a factor
Matt, I do not know you so I am not sure if I am suppose to take this seriously.
 

jlimey

Jeff
Corporate Member
Probably 20 years ago, my company remodeled a large office building in cherry. Cherry was a favorite of designers, the price went up due to demand. The quality of cherry at local hardwood suppliers is just returning to what I remember prior to that surge in demand for cherry.

Fast forward to about 10 years ago. My wife and I were in Crate and Barrel and all of a sudden dark woods were what was in stock in furniture. I mentioned to her that walnut was going to go the way of cherry in availability and cost of good wood. And here we are, dark woods are still in all the design magazines, the price of walnut is high as we have noted, and the quality of walnut is still in the pits. Wood (sic) like to know how walnut bf harvested has changed over the last decade, but a quick google search didn't yield that information, so I'll go with my hunch! :)
 

patlaw

Mike
Corporate Member
With the younger generation wanting nothing but throw-away IKEA furniture, you'd think demand for hardwoods would ease up a little.
 

walnutjerry

Jerry
Senior User
And sapwood is no defect, yeah....... Boy you do get what you pay for. Are you going to keep it or buy the other lumber?
One thing I learned with my time spent employed with a millwork company was walnut is in a world of its own when it comes to grading standards. Even insect damage is not a defect in any lumber!! Go figure.
 

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