No doubt, a stunning piece of wood. I would have loved to see that tree in its pristine/untouched state. Having only a piece is 2nd best, but it will be with us always. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

Wow that’s really something awesome! Thank you for sharing.

I have a piece of Claro walnut (a bit over 2' by 11") that I sanded to 600 that I've had for more than 4 years because it's so beautiful I can't bring myself to cut it. So I'm totally with you on the idea of not leaving a beautiful piece rough sanded. (I immediately subscribed to your channel.) I know I'll enjoy your videos.

Absolutely beautiful!,can't wait to see the finished product.

Good to see another man with top notch supplies and priceless materials for an amazing project that just lacks the courage to start. Even better to see one grow a pair and begin the damn thing.

Probably 10 years ago we had a black walnut tree about 3 feet across trunk in our yard, near the corner of the house. It would've had wood similar to that at its main crotch where it devided perfectly. The reason its trunk was milled into beautiful wood was because it had been struck by lightning, which split it in half. Trunk was not damaged, but the other half was over the house, badly weakened by loosing its other half. We still have a couple of them, one's just a little sapling that came up on it's own. The other is young, only 1 foot across trunk. But it's got a massive wide spread and it's very tall. Its never been pruned its whole life, except some low branches that made it impossible to manage the yard.

What a treat to simply handle such fine wood.

It looks like the pelt of some exotic tiger. Sooo beautiful!

Very nice!!!

That tree was a once in a lifetime tree. Congratulations on starting it Blair. That is one incredible piece of walnut. Hell even to call it just walnut is underscoring the beauty in that one chunk.

Great video. Russ just slabbed up some black walnut for me last week. He is a good guy and very knowledgeable.

I so enjoy your videos. Your passion is infectious. I so appreciate your knowledge resultant from many years of experience. Thank you and God’s Rey best.

Good luck with the project Blair. It's going to be a spectacular piece!

hope it comes out even better than you envision and it ends up being a treasured heirloom for many of your future generations

I hope you will let us all share your "rocker journey". Incredible piece of walnut for sure!

I can look at a piece of wood like that for years, simply taking in its beauty. We're fortunate enough to have had a coffee table made for us, out of English walnut, as a wedding present, a generation ago. It has a natural owl shape in it, which we'll continue to treasure. Your 'tree' beats ours, hands down!. Thanks for sharing your appreciation with us, Blair. I'll wait patiently to see how it makes your chair. 🙂

Gorgeous! I can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm glad you're ON this project; it's so sad to see someone OFF his rocker. ;^)

Great video. Like forged Damascus steel! A great skill to be able to appreciate this stuff. Thanks for the insight here. This is real wisdom that gives people more enjoyment in everyday life just by being perceptive of wood grain! Great work :)

I don't believe that I have ever heard you more excited than about this beautiful piece of walnut. Go for it Blair!! Just keep us posted from time to time.

Amazing pc. of wood ,I can see why it excites you. I would of loved to have seen the tree before it was cut down !

True beauty!

That's one beautiful hunk of wood you got there. To me, wood like that doesn't have defects, only extra character.

Good decision. Looks good. Good luck and enjoy the process of creating.

Amazing piece of wood which I'm sure will be a wonderful work of functional art in the end. Thanks for the video.

That is beautiful that's why I believe in God that he is the best artist this is all natural not even Picasso could draw something this beautiful

Wow...gorgeous wood.! It reminds me of the Tiger Eye gemstone that shimmers and seems to change shape as you hold it at different angles to the sunlight. This will truly be a 'labor of love' for you.

A few years too late maybe, but a good way to deal with the uncertainty of risk would be to make one or two chairs with other lumber before using that precious piece of Claro. Hope it turned out well!

Blair that is a fabulous slab of walnut, I know what you are saying the depth when highly finished like that makes you feel like you could fall into it. Only happens on an exceptional slab but when you get it right there is nothing quite like it. Good luck with the rocker. Don't rush it, take your time.

It’s normal to feel dread regarding great projects with extraordinary stock. I’ve got it. Everyone I know has it. I’m glad to see that you have chosen to assail your Everest.

Great video

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.... there are so many ways to describe beautiful, that I do not judge. I agree apparently well with your taste of beautiful 😜but lucky there are many whom do not (so there is more for us 😎). added after the video end,.. good luck, that’s a Hugh challenge!

Good to know that there's woodworking arborist out there big hi they're from Kentucky

Blair..I hope you are going to bring us along on you chair build. Will make great videos.

Met Sam Maloof twice! I agree -"the finest rocking chair ever built". (recently discovered your channel - enjoying your videos)

awesome peace of wood, that chair gonna be great..:D

Blair, (I'm about 2 minutes in) I'd sand the top smooth, and finish to a quality surface, clean up the (hopefully raw) sides, and leave the bottom somewhat rough, so one can see the original wood. Sides, just knock the rough stuff, and sand off big lumps, but leave it natural as much as possible. steve

As I listen to you speak about bringing the beauty in this piece of wood out, I realize Jesus did the same when He was here showing off the tree He created. What furniture that must have been!!! Perfect I'd bet

Glenn, that is an incredible seat blank! Where are the chair videos??? :). I have a question. I have a walnut slab that I’m going to make a coffee table with. I just bought a couple of other Pieces of walnut online that I was planning to use for the legs. I notice that the density of the two “walnuts” are very different. One piece of wood is very dense and heavy while the other pieces feel much lighter (for the same size piece) and less dense. I’ve been looking online for information to try to identify which types of walnut I have. Who better to ask than an arborist? Thanks!

How is the chair coming along? I just milled my firt two northern california black walnut stumps. Wow

Mr. Blair thank you very much for your video, quick question, can I make pistol grips?.

Pecan & hickory are in the walnut family too

Did you ever finish the chair?

I do believe it is illegal to have that much stunning beauty, plus you have tobe extremely cautious that could possibly take ones breath away, and mixing that with that amount of dumbfound causing gorgeousness could make ya forget to catch your breath and breath again.....

Here is a link to a photo album of Sam’s house and furniture. goo.gl/photos/2JpLjWmDwUz4ypdd6

I’m just a wannabe. Hoping to get a few things made.

How many thousand? Per slab?

10* Next best option is to oil up and insanely buff essential oil into the wood to show the depth. Orange oil or an essential oil - not any petroleum or wood oils, shellacs, varnish ... the same for no linseed or tung oil ... no vegetable or food oils, no avocado (yellow-green tint), no olive oil (green tint). Maybe some of the original walnut seed oil or other nut oils (hazelnut/filbert, almond, ...). Safeway (or online) sells foreign nut oils for salads with these same products - or a health food store). Just buff the snot out of the wood with the essential oils penetrating deep into the wood, and these oils will go deep, stay deep, and further enforce the light, scattering, backlighting, enhancement of the wood (black is blacker, white is whiter, colors are more colored), grain, pores, deep sheen of the wood into its translucent and transparent properties (obsidian in thin slices can be seen through for its black and green-black colors, same for the rest of the crystallin oils allowing the wood to come alive) ... like any candy coat on a car. Much like petrified wood, cut into thin strips, can still be read by its pores and grains - identifying the original paleo era tree species.

fun fact: "feather crotch" was my nicname in college