My Goby Walnut Partnership
When you choose a Stumptown Reclaimed Wood table, you're getting more than craftsmanship, you're getting access to some of the finest salvaged walnut in the country.
Why Goby Matters
Goby Walnut isn't just another lumber supplier. They're one of the most respected names in salvaged hardwood, known nationally among woodworkers and furniture makers for the quality of their material. Their Portland workshop and yard have become a destination. Craftspeople travel from across the country to hand-select boards and see their operation firsthand.
For me, I’m blessed to have them right in my backyard, twenty minutes down I-5.
The Local Advantage
Being in Portland gives me something furniture makers in other parts of the country don't have: direct, in-person access to Goby's inventory. I don't order walnut sight-unseen from a catalog. I walk their yard, examine grain patterns, check for character and figure, and hand-select the specific boards that will become your table.
This relationship has developed over years of building hundreds of tables. I know what to look for. I know which pieces will showcase the deep chocolate tones Oregon black walnut is famous for, which will have the dramatic cathedral grain, which slabs have the perfect live edge character.
What Salvaged Means at Goby
Goby specializes in urban salvage. Walnut trees removed from yards, parks, and properties throughout the Pacific Northwest. These aren't plantation-grown trees harvested at 50 years. These are century-old specimens with character you simply can't get from commercial lumber.
The wood has history. It has figure and grain complexity that only comes from trees that grew slowly, naturally, without the uniformity of a timber farm. When Goby salvages these trees, they're preserving something that would otherwise be lost.
Want to see what I mean? I built a few tables from a 150+ year old walnut Goby salvaged from a farm on Sauvie's Island, a massive tree believed to be the largest walnut in the United States. It's become one of their most sought-after salvages. People love the wood and the story. Read the full story on my blog →
But salvaging the tree is just the beginning. Goby's meticulous milling and drying process transforms raw urban timber into premium furniture-grade lumber. The wood goes through extended air-drying, and this timeline matters. The longer walnut air dries, the richer and deeper the color becomes. Those signature chocolate and amber tones Oregon black walnut is known for? That's time and patience, not stain. Finally, the lumber moves to kiln-drying, bringing the moisture content down to the precise level needed for interior furniture. This proper drying is what ensures your table will remain stable for generations without warping or cracking.
What This Means for Your Table
Here's what the Goby connection means for your table:
Provenance - Wood from a known, respected source with a reputation to match.
Selection - Boards I've personally chosen for your specific piece
Proper preparation - Material that's been dried correctly, ensuring your table will last for generations without warping or instability
Local connection - A genuine Portland story. Local wood with unmatched local character.
Premium material - The same salvaged walnut that woodworkers travel across the country to buy
This is the foundation everything else is built on. The joinery, the finish, the steel fabrication - all of it starts with exceptional material from a source I trust completely.
