SOLD to Marilyn in Sacramento, California (CA) on 10/18/2018
02/24/2022 – We just brought in a new batch. We have lots of sizes. Please email us for pictures, sizes, and prices.

Exceptionally large solid, black walnut fireplace mantel. We just don’t find a lot of pieces like this — even in modern wood. This piece was stored in the back of a shed at a local lumberyard for over 10 years. It dried slowly and naturally. The problem with thick walnut slabs or beams is that they are very difficult to dry without cracking and twisting. Most kiln driers prefer to do 1-inch thick material but do some occasional 2-inch, maybe 3-inch, material. Almost nobody kiln dries beams. Drying wood is a bit like cooking a roast. It will be done (dry) on the outside, but still rare (wet) on the inside. Wood dries very similarly. So, the larger the piece, the harder it is to dry. By contrast, steaks and burgers cook pretty quick. Thinner wood dries quicker as well.

There is a certain mystique surrounding black walnut. It seems to be coveted by everyone as the premium wood. You’ll always hear stories about someone’s valuable walnut grove or tree. Sometimes the stories are true, sometimes not. The price of walnut does vary greatly with demand, size, and character. Walnut does indeed make some absolutely stunning countertops and tabletops with live edges. The wood just beneath the bark, or sapwood, is a lighter color than the rest of the body. In many cases, modern wood suppliers will steam the wood to push the dark color from the center into the sapwood. We don’t do that around here. (it seems a bit like cheating).

Again, this is a solid piece, not a build up box beam. You can see how the grains flow over the corners and onto the adjacent face. On the end, you can see the growth rings of the tree.

We have access to a few other roughly 4 x 9 to 12 in mantel beams. Please contact us at antiqueww@gmail.com with your needs. We can provide a list of sizes available. Also, take a look at this walnut mantel with metal inlay. The hand-hammered ironwork is a nice addition to a black walnut mantel.

About the TAG- Racy Red Whole Pimientos. I never knew that they sold whole pimientos. I thought they were only sold in the center of green olives. Love to old illustration. Lots of fun.