Walnut?

[AHill]

Walnut has a distinctive smell when cut or scratched.  If the feet are bare wood, you can scratch them and smell them.  Or remove the foot protector from one foot and do the same.  I agree the magnified pic does not look like walnut.  It's stained to look like walnut.

[giradman]

For those who did not look at my second photo in the above post, I circled (in brown) the manufacturer's description of the product which clearly states beech wood.  Dave

[Cooler]

For those who did not look at my second photo in the above post, I circled (in brown) the manufacturer's description of the product which clearly states beech wood.  Dave

Yeah, I missed that.  I just read the headlines. 

If you like mid-century modern, this is a nice, inexpensive version.  It is really light so it is easy to move around for times when you want extra seating in another room.  And purr-fect if you have a cat that shreds upholstery.

[paulmaine]

Beech is very hard and would seem to make a strong chair leg. There are several kinds of walnut.  When your are buying on line most times you are taking a chance.  There are tens of thousands of kinds of wood.  My wood ID book lists by using leaves.  I checked a piece of beech versus a piece of walnut in boxes I have made and they look similar enough. Whoever designed these seemed to make good choices.

[Bibliophile 13]

Probably stained beech, or it could just be a thick coat of finish over actual walnut, plus a not-so-great picture. But yeah, it doesn't look much like walnut to me.

As said above, beech is quite strong, plenty strong enough for chair legs. I wouldn't worry about structural problems.

If, however, it was indeed made in China, then who knows what wood might have been used? Some Asian hardwoods are extremely strong; others, not so much.

[Cooler]

It is too new to comment on the strength or durability.  In a few months I will revisit this thread.

[MichaelMouse]

It is too new to comment on the strength or durability.  In a few months I will revisit this thread.

Beech is the premier European hardwood, which has been used for chairs since before photography. 

Some chairs of the finest in design http://www.thonet.com.au/history/

[TRW]

Very nostalgic.

That looks like the dining room chairs our family had back in the 1960's.

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

I don’t think you can buy anything commercially made with black walnut unless it’s a cottage maker.

[Stwood_]

I don’t think you can buy anything commercially made with black walnut unless it’s a cottage maker.

Mmmm. Walnut Bowls, head quartered in Lebanon MO., owned by Independent Stave Company, makes quite a few walnut items, other than bowls. I did a bid for turning table legs in the late 90's