Walnut vs Cherry for cabinets?

[Jerry Olexa]

I'm extremely partial to Cherry. Would look warmer in your kitchen I think.

[Tom Jones III]

Just thought about it, my BIL did his kitchen in virola and used cherry for the show pieces, might be a good way to get the price down.

[James Boster]

This is one of those "loaded" questions that really boil down to personal preference. I have built kitchen cabinets from both and they both work great. Cherry will darken with age but not near as dark as the walnut. BOY THAT HELPED YOU OUT A LOT HUH? I prefer walnut for furniture and cherry for cabinets if that helps but they are my two favorite woods to work with.

[Guy Boulianne]

Cherry starts out light and gets darker. Walnut starts out dark and gets lighter. I don't have a lot of experience with walnut interiors but I have looked a several pieces of walnut furniture that have received lots of natural light and I found them to be almost grayish looking and not all that attractive. These pieces were finished with oil and had not had it reapplied so I would expect walnut to do better with care but that's what I observed.

For 2004 Christmas, I have made a bunch of cutting board, some maple/walnut and some cherry/walnut. Mine is walnut, I use it so I also maintain it (re-oil) and it is still a nice very dark brown. My Mother's is a display piece more than a utility one and she had not re-oiled it in a full year..... and yes it was lokking bad, lighter and greyish, whan I visited her 3 weeks ago, I just applied a generous coat of Mystery oil (which is a mix of Linseed, Tung and mineral oil) and it recovered its nice color.

[Tom Donalek]

For what it's worth, Wenge veneer is 'hot' right now for facing cabinets in "Euro"/"Modern"/"Poggenpohl"/"whatever" style kitchens. Now that's dark!

[Bob Johnson2]

Thanks yet again all. Although I still don't know what to use (I still like walnut but I'm just the builder) I'll leave the type of wood up to my wife. Sounds like they both work well, although I'm a bit leary on the tendency I've had to burn cherry. This was before I bought my cab saw so it may be a non issue.
I've decided to pick up a bit of hickory (I've yet to see it), kind of scarce up here, but I can find some 4/4. Then finish a foot or so of each off and leave them laying around the kitchen for a week or so to let her decide.
The layout is very open if not a bit small, I think dark would be okay but I'll go over it with the boss when I finish the samples.
Any chance of someone posting a picture or two of their hickory cabinets?
Tom, FWIW, from looking ot the hardness tables, cherry and walnut are virtually the same 950 vs 1010 respectively, with cherry being a bit softer. I would have figured the other way round.

[Karl Laustrup]

although I'm a bit leary on the tendency I've had to burn cherry. This was before I bought my cab saw so it may be a non issue.
Any chance of someone posting a picture or two of their hickory cabinets?

Bob, I had a problem with burning cherry also. Until I got my Forrest WWII. Get a premium blade with your cab saw and I don't think you'll have much problem with burning.

I would be more than happy to post pictures, however I won't have a kitchen until late March. I will be posting some though as part of my "A New Home" series.

Karl

[Bob Johnson2]

Bob, I had a problem with burning cherry also. Until I got my Forrest WWII. Get a premium blade with your cab saw and I don't think you'll have much problem with burning.

I would be more than happy to post pictures, however I won't have a kitchen until late March. I will be posting some though as part of my "A New Home" series.

Karl

Karl
I have the WWII on my CS. I'll see the pics when you post them although it'll be a bit late, I'm going to pick up whatever I decide on the 2nd week of Mar when I'll be in Pa. I'll poke around the web some, got to be some hickory kitchens out there somewhere.

[Homer Faucett]

Cherry starts out light and gets darker. Walnut starts out dark and gets lighter. I don't have a lot of experience with walnut interiors but I have looked a several pieces of walnut furniture that have received lots of natural light and I found them to be almost grayish looking and not all that attractive. These pieces were finished with oil and had not had it reapplied so I would expect walnut to do better with care but that's what I observed.

I have seen older walnut that goes to a golden color, but have not seen it turn grey. That sounds like weathered wood.

I have a walnut coffee table that belonged to my great grandfather. It was finished with BLO and wax, and still looks nice and dark.

I hadn't realized that walnut is softer than cherry. That's good to know. Good thread.

[Dale Thompson]

Black walnut gets lighter over time...the air dried material that I use, in fact, gets to be a beautiful golden brown after about a year with UV and oxidation. But cherry is my first love...so I'm not much help either! This is largely a personal preference decision.

Jim,
I've always lived with the "old wive's tale" that dark woods get darker and light woods get lighter over time. Is Black Walnut an exception to this or is the whole concept wrong? I haven't done a lot of work with Black Walnut except for a few jewelry boxes and Anniversary Clocks. They were all given as gifts and I have lost track of them.

What is the REAL story on this: wood species/darkness/lightness/UV/ageing/etc. situation.

Dale T.

[Dale Thompson]

I won't have a kitchen until late March.
Karl

Hey Dells,
You are going to be REALLY hungry by late March! My cousin and her husband live in Lake Delton. I'll check with her and see if we can find a "soup kitchen" close to your "improvised" shelter!

Dale T.

[brent lenthall]

Bob,

Don't forget to factor in extra waste when pricing the project in walnut. I believe FAS grading of walnut allows for more knots, etc. than cherry.

[Jim Schmoll]

I have only seen one walnut kitchen... GREAT and only gets warmer looking/feeling with age. You do need to have a lot of natural light to get the best look. I would think about going direct to a mill and not a hardwood dealer. A nother thought would be matching the grain and keep sapwood in your thought process. Sap wood is great for a wild looking pattern, my choice only.

Jim from Idyllwild CA

[Dale Thompson]

Bob,

Don't forget to factor in extra waste when pricing the project in walnut. I believe FAS grading of walnut allows for more knots, etc. than cherry.

Brent,
As I recall, the factor for Cherry is about 40% waste. If Walnut is greater, that could be a REALLY large number!

Dale T.

[Jim Becker]

As I recall, the factor for Cherry is about 40% waste. If Walnut is greater, that could be a REALLY large number!

Waste factor for cherry is about 25-30%, I believe. FAS walnut allows for narrower and shorter material due to the nature of the trees...they rarely grow "straight", so getting clear material is harder. For that reason, it's a special case relative to grading.