If you are attempting to choose between different kinds of wood to use in your next woodworking project, whether making furniture, cabinets, musical instruments, or anything in between, there are a few different options for you to consider.
Two very popular options include walnut and chestnut wood. Today, we want to compare these two types of wood to see which one is best for a variety of projects.
What Is Walnut?
First, we have the walnut tree, and here we are talking specifically about the eastern black walnut tree. This is a type of tree that grows all throughout Canada and the eastern United States. These trees can reach diameters of 8’ and heights of 150’, making them quite large.
Walnut wood usually has a straight and tight grain, although it can sometimes have some curves and irregularities. This wood generally has very few knots, gaps, and voids, although some specimens may contain a good deal of them.
As for the color, walnut has a very deep and dark brown color, something like chocolate or coffee. What’s also interesting to note is that this is one of the only types of wood in North America that naturally grows very dark, and will actually lighten over time.
Walnut is also a very dense and hard type of wood, which allows for great resistance to all sorts of physical damage, such as denting and scratching. This wood does contain some natural oils, although not a huge amount.
This means that although it does okay outdoors, it is generally best reserved for indoor purposes. Moreover, it is a great option for making carvings, furniture, cabinets, flooring, or knickknacks.
Walnut is however a very slow-growing type of tree, which means that it is rather expensive due to sourcing issues.
What Is Chestnut?
We then have the chestnut tree, which is native to North America. Here, we’re talking specifically about the American chestnut tree, although there are also Chinese chestnut trees.
Chestnut is a deciduous hardwood tree. This is actually one of the softest types of hardwood found in North America, which means that it is fairly durable, though less durable than most other types of hardwood. Chestnut wood is also fairly lightweight and not very dense.
That said, This wood has a good deal of resin and oils in it, which means that it is quite resistant to fungus, pests, and moisture. Chestnut is a great option to use for outdoor purposes. As for appearance, chestnut has a straight grain, although it may at times be interlocked, spiraled, or wavy, and has a medium-to-coarse texture.
This wood can also contain a good deal of voids and knots, and in terms of color, it is usually a light-to-moderate brown color that tends to darken over time. Chestnut wood can be quite expensive, which is why it is often used for small applications, such as making doors, windows, and small pieces of furniture. That said, if you are willing to deal with the high price, you can use it for other purposes as well.
Walnut vs. Chestnut: What Are the Differences?
Now that we know what both walnut wood and chestnut wood are, let’s figure out what makes them different from each other.
Hardness
One of the biggest differences between these two types of wood is that walnut is much harder than chestnut. Walnut comes in at a Janka hardness rating of 1010 lbf. On the other hand, chestnut features a Janka hardness rating of just 540 lbf.
This means that walnut is the better option to go with if you need something that is resistant to denting, scratching, and physical impacts.
Density and Weight
Another major difference here is that walnut is much heavier than chestnut. Walnut features a weight of 43 lbs per cubic foot, whereas chestnut features a weight of 28 lbs per cubic foot.
Due to this, chestnut tends to be much easier to maneuver and to work with, although it is of course not quite as durable or structurally sound due to this limited density.
Pest and Moisture Resistance
Something that does need to be said here is that although walnut wood is very strong, and does contain some natural resins, it’s definitely not the best choice for outdoor use. Yes, it can be used for outdoor purposes, but it does need to be sealed properly.
On the other hand, chestnut contains a good deal of natural oils and resins, which makes it extremely resistant to pests, fungus, and decay. Chestnut is definitely the better option to use for outdoor applications.
Overall Strength and Durability
If we are talking about moisture resistance, chestnut is definitely the more durable of the two. However, if we’re talking about structural soundness and overall durability, especially in terms of physical damage, then walnut is the better choice.
Workability
When it comes to workability, in terms of sawing and cutting, chestnut is definitely the easier of the two due to it being much lighter and softer.
With that being said, what can cause problems with chestnut is that it can contain a lot of knots and voids. However, chestnut is much easier to stain and paint than walnut.
Appearance – Grain and Color
Walnut tends to have a straight grain with a relatively fine texture, combined with that really deep brown color that we all love to see, as well as a limited amount of knots.
Chestnut on the other hand is much lighter brown in color, and has a slightly coarser texture, with a grain that may be straight or irregular. Most people would say that walnut is the much better-looking of the two.
Cost
Walnut is a fairly expensive type of wood and can cost up to $25 per board foot. As for chestnut, depending on where you get it from, this can cost anywhere between $10 and $30 per board foot.
When to Use Walnut Wood?
If you need something that is super beautiful and durable for indoor purposes, then walnut is definitely the better option to consider.
When to Use Chestnut Wood?
If you are looking for something that has great moisture resistance and is perfect for outdoor use, and you like that light brown color of it, then chestnut is the better option.
Alternatives to Walnut and Chestnut Wood
If you are looking for good hardwood that is ideal for indoor furniture, options such as oak, mahogany, and maple all make for good alternatives to walnut and chestnut.
Summary
As you can see, the major difference here is really that one is ideal for outdoor use whereas the other is better used for indoor applications.
Now that you know exactly what makes walnut and chestnut wood different from each other, you can choose the one that works best for your next project.