The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I'm trying to determine if this American or Circassian Walnut.
The finish has been mostly sanded ( and NO, not by me ).

In my opinion, that cabinet has the grain contrast and striation of Circassian Walnut. Once it is finished, the grain features will pop out even more. Cheers, Russie

Not American. Those doors are different than anything that I have seen.

I also think it's Circassian. I've never seen doors framed like that either. Very interesting. I'd love to know the reason and history. It will be a stunning machine when finished. (you lucky dog! )

Congratulations, Jerry Blais

Another vote for Circassian. Victor didn't offer American Walnut in 1911.

Nice cabinet! That will look great when it's done.

There will be an article on one particular Circassian VV-XVI in the March 2018 issue of The Antique Phonograph. This one has an interesting backstory.

George P.

I'm going to go against the grain, and cast my vote for American. It does not have the characteristic look of Circassian in my opinion.

Even though American Walnut was not mentioned in the catalog at this time, we do know that it was available. I have seen other L-Door examples.

Did a previous owner bevel the doors on this one?

Silvertone wrote:Did a previous owner bevel the doors on this one?

I to believe the doors have been beveled. Look at the center of the bottom doors where they meet, not beveled.

As far as wood I believe Circassian Walnut also. Although the inside of the lid does resemble burl or crotch American Walnut. The record shelf and inside lower door screams Circassian Walnut to me.

Larry Crandell

I've refinished two Circassian walnut Victrolas and an American walnut one as well. But they were both the later style. Under some of the door hinges CW was stamped on one and W was stamped on the other. I don't know why all three weren't stamped that way, but they weren't. I don't remember the paper label inside the cabinet mentioning anything about the veneer, but I think Victor did on some of them. The way those doors are given that boarder with veneer, makes me think the veneer was chipped up or something around the edges of the door and someone decided to "repair" it that way. Looks like there is some veneer issues on the sides of the cabinet as well, and the veneer usually pops loose on the doors before it pops loose on the sides for whatever reason. The moldings on the bottom of the cabinet sides are off also, so it must have been somewhere pretty damp. And the border on those front doors isn't the same width around the edge, so something doesn't quite ring true on that one.

Well, good luck with the project. I have enough re-veneering to do on a couple of machines I've dragged home that had "near death" experiences. It's not cheap to buy the veneer, but it's out there. If that boarder is glued down with modern glue, and not hide glue, you'll have your answer on that. It should also have veneer tape under it too where it was joined, if it was done at the factory. Thanks for sharing the pictures of it. They are really nice looking machines in that walnut.

I am not an expert on these wood species, but I have a couple of machines in American walnut, and the figuration in this veneer looks a little too "flamboyant" for regular "American walnut" to my eyes.


Kind of a shame those doors got beveled... wonder what the core-wood is ?


Good luck on your project !

Hold on. The original poster never said the doors have been beveled, (at least in anything I've read). I don't believe they have been. I believe that the edges have a banding of veneer around them. The base wood would never look that good, nor would the grain run in those directions, nor would the corners be mitered. Whether somebody did this as a repair to chipped veneer or if it's original to the cabinet seems to be the question/issue.