WOOD GRADING FOR FINISHED SETS
Hand Selected to Ensure Strength and Beauty
Cole Gunsmithing specializes in both premium and standard grade wood sets for a variety of shotgun models. Many of these sets are hand picked by Rich Cole to ensure strength and beauty. We have a high selection of wood covering the whole wood grading scale.
Wood Grading Scale for Finished Sets
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
Good quality 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 a similar pattern on both sides of stock.
WOOD GRADING SCALE FOR RAW 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. Click Here to Watch A Youtube Video on the Beretta Custom Wood Room in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy!
- 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 Browning 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.
RAW WOOD BLANKS
The Perfect Fit for Your Exact Specifications
Our one of a kind wood blanks are personally selected by Rich Cole, ready to be hand carved to your exact specifications. Get started today and let us help find the perfect fit.
