Wood Species Identification

Hi these pics are from a late 1860s Renaissance Revival brownstone in Brooklyn Heights. Can anyone ID the species? Client thought it was walnut but it looks to me like mahogany or maple with a faux mahogany stain. [Download (1)](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s1/:brownstoner:Sew2:download1.png.jpg) [Download](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s1/:brownstoner:T7js:download.png.jpg)

brian.spinks

in General Discussion 8 years and 9 months ago

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Bessie | 8 years and 9 months ago

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Definitely walnut. I have the same at my place.

NeoGrec | 8 years and 9 months ago

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I’m gonna go with walnut also. Looks very similar to our newel post (NeoGrec house, circa 1879). Walnut was often stained to look like mahogany because those faddish Victorians (really, they were worse than us!) decided around 1880 that mahogany was the new thing. So the red tone could be misleading. Also maple doesn’t stain well — certainly not a dark color like your photo shows — so I’d rule that out.

daveinbedstuy | 8 years and 9 months ago

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I think it’s walnut especially because if the burled section.

CarmenR | 8 years and 9 months ago

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could be mahogany or black walnut. Our newel post and handrail looked very similar to that and it ended up being mahogany (we stripped and refinished it.)

BobMarvin | 8 years and 9 months ago

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Sorry, no, my house is about 30 years later

brian.spinks | 8 years and 9 months ago

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Thanks Bob, could be. Any idea if that’s typical of the houses in that area/time period?

brian.spinks | 8 years and 9 months ago

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Thanks Bob, could be. Any idea if that’s typical of the houses in that area/time period?

brian.spinks | 8 years and 9 months ago

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Thanks Bob, could be. Any idea if that’s typical of the houses in that area/time period?

BobMarvin | 8 years and 9 months ago

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I’m not sure, but perhaps birds-eye maple, with a mahogany color stain.