The Romans brought juglans regia into Britain during their occupation and there are still some very large old walnuts on the lands of British aristocracy.American walnut was much depleted during both our world wars but it was still cut by our gunmakers for their use. Parker bought much of their walnut from the DesMoines sawmills in Iowa.Dale Johnson,of Strawberry Point,Iowa, sold walnut blanks by the semi-load to Browning,Winslow and other makers circa-late 60"s and 70's.Dale told me in 1969 that the predictions were that there would not be any American walnut worth cutting in a few years and 40 years later his son,Randy, is still cutting beautiful blanks from walnut grown in Iowa and other midwest states.
