Italian Walnut

[70ish]

I'm looking for some opinions on whether a rifle with an Italian Walnut stock has any difference in value from a rifle with American Walnut. All other conditions and features being about equal. Thanks!

[Ned Butts]

Only by personal preference as the Italian walnut was official issue for a short time.

[Kragrifle]

The lighter Italian walnut has a tendency to darken with use making it less likely to find a really pretty original appearing stick. You will find these in 1899 and 1900 dated sticks with 1901 cartouches by far the most common date.

[70ish]

Thank you for the information. It confirms, I suppose, what I was thinking myself. I've had 380844 for 25 years or so, but have never been especially attached to it since I assumed it had been refinished at some time. It has an old varnish and the cartouche date is illegible. I bought it from an old friend who needed a little help and knew I like Krags so I couldn't say no. The color is definitely lighter (and a red/gold) color and now I can value it without worrying that I had a 'sleeper'. The stock apparently predates the action, too. Thanks, again for the help.

[Liam]

Several years ago I was at Dunlap Woodcrafts store here in Virginia looking into walnut stocks they manufacture for military arms. Took some pics and posted a report here on CSP. One interesting thing I saw was a pallet of American walnut blanks wrapped in shrink wrap with a label denoted this pallet was en route to Pedersoli of Italy. Perhaps their stands of oak are running thin.
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[70ish]

Since American Walnut is a darker color than Italian Walnut, Pedersoli probably wants the American color in order to match the details of the various types of arms they are reproducing. A Civil War musket just wouldn't look right if the stock was the color of the Italian wood. Even an original Krag looks a little "off" with the Italian wood. But if the wood was found in a cabinet or furniture or the like, it's actually attractive since it has strong graining like the Black Walnut. It's just not right on a Springfield product.

[Fred]

A rare Italian Walnut stock made for a Model 1896 receiver. Bill Mook had collected quite a few 1898 Krag rifles with Italian Walnut stocks. He told me that this 1896 stock was unusual and of course he liked it!
I think that such Italian Walnut stocks are beautiful.

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[Fred]

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[Fred]

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[Fred]

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