Is there a Walnut blight or something?
#11
Lately I have noticed the price of Black Walnut has gone thru the fricking roof.
Just 2 years ago, I was paying $3 a board foot for it, now my guy wants $12.50 a board foot.

Is there some blight or something I haven't heard of?
Anyone know why Walnut has more than tripled in price in just 2 years?

Any info is greatly appreciated.
Reply
#12
(07-29-2018, 09:42 AM)Herb G Wrote: Lately I have noticed the price of Black Walnut has gone thru the fricking roof.
Just 2 years ago, I was paying $3 a board foot for it, now my guy wants $12.50 a board foot.

Is there some blight or something I haven't heard of?
Anyone know why Walnut has more than tripled in price in just 2 years?

In North Carolina, I've not seen that price increase in walnut - I usually buy 20 BF bundles (4/4; S2S) shipped to me from Steve Wall Lumber (up the road near the VA border) for my projects - their price list is shown below - walnut is one of their more expensive wood offerings, but about $6.55/BF - Dave
Smile


Attached Files Image(s)
   
Piedmont North Carolina
Reply
#13
Not that I know of.
There is still a lot to cut around here. Prices are still in the 4-5 dollar range from the wood suppliers. (Schultie, Paxton, etc.)

Out and about at the amish mills, air dried is still in the 2-3 dollar range
Steve

Missouri






 
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020








Reply
#14
There is the 1000 crankers disease.  IIRC, it is naturally occurring out west but it has jumped the Mississippi and I think has been spotted in Tenn and out East.

Just one more assault on our wood lands.

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong!
Reply
#15
(07-29-2018, 09:42 AM)Herb G Wrote: Lately I have noticed the price of Black Walnut has gone thru the fricking roof.
Just 2 years ago, I was paying $3 a board foot for it, now my guy wants $12.50 a board foot.

Is there some blight or something I haven't heard of?
Anyone know why Walnut has more than tripled in price in just 2 years?

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Walnut has been under attack for sometime. 

Ive been stockpiling it for about 5+ years now, and I am glad I have been. I prefer air dried stock over kiln dried (only for walnut) and 10 years ago you could find from independent mills, green for a buck a foot, or dried for a buck and a half to two bucks a foot. Then 2008 happened, and for me thats when things started changing in a noticeable way. 

Many of the independent millers stopped milling with the economic downturn so it was harder to find. For a year or two I turned to kiln dried stock, but $3.50/ft for common stock that was basically sap wood made me stockpile. I have more than 1000 feet in storage that the most I have paid was $2.30/ft. I keep an eye out of craigslist and when I see a lot that is close (within 30 minutes) ill go take a look if the price is right. 

In the past I would have driven to Northern Iowa (there is great colored walnut down there) but more and more what people are selling is old stuff that has been neglected over the years in in bad shape (least my last few experiences) 

I bet 50 years from now, it will be like chestnut, where its just not around much anymore.

Once Favre hangs it up though, it years of cellar dwelling for the Pack. (Geoff 12-18-07)  



Reply
#16
There was an article in the latest issue of Woodshop News about black walnut.  It discussed the thousand canker disease, as already mentioned, which is negatively effecting supply.  At the same time, walnut is gaining in popularity, making for a double whammy on price.  

I had a couple hundred or more BF that I had milled from local trees.  Those walnut/maple cubby and bench cabinets I recently finished were made with some of the last of it.  

John
Reply
#17
The Canker disease has made it to the upper Midwest Twin-cities area.  It is affecting both the Black Walnut and Butternut around here.   Mills-Fleet Farm is selling it for about the $13.50 bf price. Have some that I plan on using I got with a auction load of wood, so I have not needed to purchase. Dan
Reply
#18
Around here, walnut is always in ample supply. My guess is it's just very popular. Clear 4/4 is probably one of the most common at all my local suppliers. In the past ten years, many of them usually have figured walnut on hand, which is not something that happened often before.

Vienna Hardwoods is occasionally inexpensive (they're variable), but for the most part it sits around $10 a board foot. I haven't used it much recently, in large part because of the price. It's great to work with, but when I can get ribbon sapele for less than half the price of walnut, I'll use that instead.

It's odd, as I can get bubinga for less than the cost of walnut. I find that to be a superior wood in almost every way, yet it's cheaper. Who knows.
Reply
#19
(07-29-2018, 11:45 AM)iublue Wrote: There is the 1000 crankers disease.  IIRC, it is naturally occurring out west but it has jumped the Mississippi and I think has been spotted in Tenn and out East.

Just one more assault on our wood lands.

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong!

The Richmond VA area was the 2nd quarantine area east of the Mississippi. No live edge or green black walnut allowed to leave the quarantine. Anything leaving legally must be kiln-dried.
"the most important safety feature on any tool is the one between your ears." - Ken Vick

A wish for you all:  May you keep buying green bananas.
Reply
#20
China, having felled all their own hardwood forest during Mao's reign and having driven several culturally important hardwood species to extinction, is now looking to the US.  Their typical mode of operation is to contract with the larger regional mills to buy ALL of their walnut for several years--and don't talk about it.
MAKE: Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out...  www.makezine.com

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.