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!
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!
Last edited by 70ish; 03-28-2017 at 03:45.
Only by personal preference as the Italian walnut was official issue for a short time.
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.
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.
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.
italian_walnut.jpg
Last edited by Liam; 03-31-2017 at 04:50.
"Wars are, of course, as a rule to be avoided; but they are far better than certain kinds of peace." - T.R.
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.
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.
image.jpg
Last edited by Fred; 04-03-2017 at 12:45.