could someone post a picture or 2 of alkanet root dye on black walnut: preferably a before and after shot. I know Duane Wiebe has shown some in the past but I'm not sure it was on black walnut and cannot find the pictures. It sounds like it adds a reddish color to the wood, but I've not seen any in person. Any descriptions would be helpful. Can either post on AR or send a PM. thank you.

Speaking for myself,,,never tried it on black waklnut...I suspect..on a dark piece, it most likely would not do much. I could send youo a cuple oz. of the solution....then we'd all know seya

thank you Duane. I'm sending you a PM.

I used alkanet root oil on an Oregon black walnut stock. It just turned a little darker with a red tint. Didn't really notice a lot of difference from other walnuts. I've noticed that some wood darkens a lot - other wood not so much. Same for the red color. I suspect it just depends on the specific wood and the amount of oil.

If you use several coats it will get real dark and give dark wood a red hew thats very English and classy on big bore English guns, at least I like it on dark European walnut such as Turkish, so it should work on black walnut..Too much turns the wood black as a billard ball...You can mellow it out by wet sanding if you use too much, Ive played with it a good deal, and I love it on any walnut.

The late Dietrich Apel told me that American grown Walnut is not good at coloration with Alkanet root oil stain. European and other Royal Walnut varieties grown off the American Continents it works well on. He said after 40 years of trying he stopped and just used a Spirit Stain to achieve the red color.

It is not that is may not work. The results are not consistant. Thus the stain method was used by Dietrich. For those who do not remember:

Dietrich was the last practicing member of a 300 year gunmaking family. The Jaeger family. His uncle Paul had a large firm in PA and that is how Dietrich made it to America after WW2. He also founded New England Custom Guns and was a founding member of the German Gun Collector Association. He was also a stockmaker of great skill....IMO.

...Personally, I have enhanced the alkenet root oil on occasion by adding just a bit of "antique cherry" analine dye..use the oil soluble variety, of course

One of the prettiest rifle stocks Ive seen was almost a dark purple hue, a mix of Gensen Violet horse medicine made from walnut, I don't have the recipe..