Black Walnut Bookend Pair

Solid black walnut, cut and polished so the grain runs visibly across the face. Most bookends are folded steel with a felt pad, doing an honest job and looking like an office supply while they do it. These are pieces of timber heavy enough to hold a run of hardbacks upright by their own weight, which means nothing slides under the books and no bracket shows from the front.

Walnut is the right wood for this. It is dense, so a small block has real mass; it is dark, so it frames a row of spines rather than competing with them; and it takes a polish that deepens rather than shines. The surface is finished smooth on every face, including the ones that will never be seen, so the pair can be turned around or moved to a different shelf without a rough edge appearing.

They work on open shelving where both sides are visible, on a desk holding a working set of reference books, or on a sideboard as a way of standing up a few cookbooks without a full shelf. Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from radiators, both of which will dry and fade the timber over time. Dust with a dry cloth and, once a year or so, feed the wood with a little furniture oil.

• Solid black walnut, supplied as a pair
• Polished natural finish on all faces
• Held in place by weight; no metal bracket under the books
• Suitable for desks, open shelving and sideboards
• Keep away from direct sunlight and radiators
• Dust with a dry cloth; feed occasionally with furniture oil