Experiment using Walnut Oil
I recently got a small bottle of walnut oil and decided to test it on one of my unfortunate pair of Four Towers walnuts. The Walnut is new and unused.
I started with about two drops of oil on my palm, then used a horsehair brush to pick up the oil and gently brush a very thin layer across the walnut’s surface. I didn’t want to overdo it, so I kept the application as light as possible.
It took roughly five hours for the oil to fully absorb into the walnut. The first thing I noticed was the color. It became noticeably deeper and richer, which I actually quite like.
However, there was a trade-off. After oiling, the walnut looked slightly duller and didn’t have the same natural shine it had before. (Unfortunately, I forgot to take a proper “before” photo, so I can’t make a perfect comparison).
The walnut also felt a little harder to the touch, and interestingly, the surface seemed more difficult to bring back to that smooth, shiny finish I had before oiling.
For now, I’m going to keep testing it over the next month and see where it goes. I’m especially curious to see how it compares to simply playing the walnuts normally and letting the natural oil from my hands slowly build up over time. The walnut oil seems to darken the surface much faster, but I’m wondering whether that faster change will eventually produce a quicker patina, or if the slower, natural process gives a nicer shine and character in the long run.