Wood Grading
Our finished wood sets are graded using the system used for many years by the well known Reinhart Fajen gunstock company. We believe this to be the most accurate system for grading finished stocks.
A grade = good quality English walnut with approximately 25% figure in both sides of stock behind wrist.
AA grade = good quality English walnut with approximately 50% figure in both sides of stock behind wrist.
AAA grade = premium grade English walnut with approximately 75% figure in both sides of stock behind wrist.
Exhibition grade= premium grade English walnut with approximately 75% or more figure in both sides of stock behind wrist, with similar pattern on both sides of stock.
Wood grading- blanks
Our
fine English walnut blanks are graded using the European grading system
for blanks used by the suppliers of “Turkish” walnut. Today it is
impossible to know the exact origin of high grade English walnut, but
most of it is classified as Turkish as it originates from Turkey and the
countries in that region.
Classe 1- The proverbial “fence post” walnut, fast grown open pored and completely plain, used on entry level guns only.
Classe 2- Good straight grain walnut with smaller pores than the classe one, generally very little figure, blanks of this grade will usually end up on the low end of A grade.
Classe 2.5- Like classe 2 but with some figure, will produce a stock in the A to AA grade.
Classe 3- Well figured blank, generally used on higher quality guns such as the Beretta 687EELL or Browing grade V. It will finish out in the AA to AAA grade range.
Classe 3.5- Blanks which will be fancier than the classe three and will be in the AAA range bordering the Exhibition grade.
Classe 4- These blanks are considered in the “Best” category and will definitely finish out as Exhibition grade. These blanks will be superior in the figure and color contrast.
Classe 4.5- A classe 4 blank with extravagant features which deem it above and beyond the classe 4 standard.
Classe 5- The finest blank available at any price, these are the rarest of all gunstock blanks, for example, of 100 classe 4 and 4.5 blanks, one may find one blank so exceptional it is considered as classe 5.
