Buy some Butternut logs?

firefighter ontheside · October 18, 2022, 07:03:46 AM

I have never seen a real butternut tree or logs. A while back someone tried to sell me what he said was butternut, but it turned out to be cottonwood. Danny helped me to figure that out. Now I see an ad for a less than great log, but I believe it probably is butternut. At the worst its walnut. It is only 12" diameter which I normally wouldn't mess with, but it might be worth it for butternut. I can get three logs about 8' long and about 12" diameter for $125. Likely I will just live edge slab it. I think they might sell well to folks making serving trays and such.

Cedarman · October 18, 2022, 07:42:43 AM

When confronted with such a dilemma, I do may best to make sure. Then I ask, what is the best that can happen. (They turn out to be butternut). And what is the worst that can happen. (They turn out to be something else). What will it cost me to live with something else? If the answer is not too much, then I dive in.

YellowHammer · October 18, 2022, 07:54:54 AM

Their perfect size for charcuterie boards, live edge sawn, around here about the only time I can get them is when a logger mistakenly saws one up thinking it's a walnut, to which it very closely resembles. It's kind of a specialty wood, we don't have a strong market for it here. It sells, but is a novelty here because we have relatively few of them.

Not sure how to help with the tree ID, other than to go to Va Tech tree ID database and take some close up shots of the end grain with your phone and compare to what they have on file. That's normally how we do it for positive ID. With the improved cameras on cell phones, they can zoom in and get a good picture.

SwampDonkey · October 18, 2022, 07:56:27 AM

Bark of a 16" butternut up this way. A medium grey.

Dig into the bark with a knife, it should be yellow inside like walnut. Butternut is light and very soft like cedar. A pen or pencil will mark it up easily through a piece of paper. It will fuzz a bit when milled, like a basswood. Branches and young trees has striping in the bark. My guess is that is a very rare find down there. I live in butternut country up here, grows out on the ridge and on any creek or gully that feeds into the St John. Common river bank tree on the main river.

I know butternut inside and out as I've been cultivating them for years. ;)

kantuckid · October 18, 2022, 08:17:20 AM

Since you live in MO, where walnuts are so common, I'd pass it up and blow my money on the more attractive walnut wood, unless the somewhat rarity of Butternut makes you want one to play. It can certainly be attractive but mostly lacks the coloration and specialness of walnut overall. Marketwise, few potential area buyers will know what you have near you unless they're a wood freak-like us. :D

firefighter ontheside · October 18, 2022, 12:45:29 PM

I have lots of walnut, as I am in Missouri. I like the idea of the butternut because of the rarity. I want it. I think I will be able to sell it. Here is the log in question. Bark looks right. Wood looks similar to walnut, but lighter in color.

barbender · October 18, 2022, 01:05:44 PM

I have a couple of cords of Butternut logs to saw, some decent sized (20" +). It is a rarity in my area These came from about 100 miles south of me where it is more common, but still rare on the whole.

firefighter ontheside · October 18, 2022, 01:09:28 PM

How will you saw it? Boards or live edge.

SwampDonkey · October 18, 2022, 02:03:47 PM

The heartwood there looks too dark for butternut, that looks purplish brown to me. It's never that dark unless an old stained log. And sapwood is usually very thin on butternut. Wood should be chestnut brown.

Here's a site with lots of photos. The color shown on there is exactly like ours. There are also photos of a hybrid cross in there, butternut crossed with Japanese Walnut (buartnut / Juglans x bixbyi). You'll see some butternut has a pinkish cast, it does here to in some trees.

butternut

barbender · October 18, 2022, 03:45:37 PM

Idk, FF. Probably why I haven't sawn it yet😊

I agree with Donk, your tree looks different than the Butternut I have, although the bark looks similar.

AndyVT · October 18, 2022, 04:30:34 PM

You guys are fortunate to still have butternut trees.
Most butternut has died out here for some reason.
Other than the last green stem on a dying tree, I have not seen a live tree.

chep · October 18, 2022, 04:41:19 PM

I sawed up some butternut just the other day. The fella will use it for paneling in cabinets. I love the look. Prob my favorite.
some had some rot/awesomeness in it. Love the wormy stuff. I woukd buy them and specialty sell. Not sure your logs are butternut when I look closer. Maybe English walnut. That sap ring is quite large for butternut. In my experience it doesn't have much sap wood

SwampDonkey · October 18, 2022, 04:42:12 PM

We have some here on several different lot frontages within a mile and a half, including mine, neighbors across the road, brother's and 3 cousins on down the road. It isn't as abundant as popples, but not hard to find. Probably have 20 butternuts up at the woodlot, I planted the nuts for all of them. One is about the size to start producing nuts now. I have 3 butternuts and a couple walnuts on the lawn here.

Did a youtube this fall of my trails and some butternut trees I forgot I planted. Well been 10 years on most of those I recon. About 4 years ago for a small one.

chep · October 18, 2022, 04:44:19 PM

AndyVt you are right the butternut canker has essentially eliminated the trees from vt. But they are still around. I logged a property a few years back we cut about 6mbf of it. All went to a specialty cabinet guy up near st Johnsbury. Calendar Brook his name is Dave if you ever get to see his work it's stunning

SwampDonkey · October 18, 2022, 04:48:09 PM

Chep, We have the canker around here to. I never noticed it at all in my area until after Arthur hit in 2014. Also butternut is not a long lived tree, maybe 80 years. I've seen butternut get destroyed by ice storms, not a recommended yard tree.