2018 BF Knife Poll 5.1: Wood Handle Materials

Choose your Wood Material Champion: 2 Votes Allowed

  • Snakewood - $$

    Votes: 38 12.3%

  • KOA Flamewood - $$

    Votes: 105 34.1%

  • Box Elder Burl - $$

    Votes: 15 4.9%

  • Maple Burl - $$

    Votes: 23 7.5%

  • Buckeye Burl - $$

    Votes: 56 18.2%

  • Ironwood - $$

    Votes: 119 38.6%

  • Osage Orange - $$

    Votes: 64 20.8%

  • Bocote - Shipping Cost Only - Free

    Votes: 46 14.9%

  • Shockwood - $$$

    Votes: 8 2.6%

  • Ebony - $$

    Votes: 36 11.7%
  • Total voters
    308
  • Poll closed .
Looking at my GEC dealer's page, I see that on the latest run of Whalers, a large percentage of knives were withdrawn due to cosmetic faults with the Ironwood. Is this common with Ironwood then?

Regards, Will
 
Will Power said:
Looking at my GEC dealer's page, I see that on the latest run of Whalers, a large percentage of knives were withdrawn due to cosmetic faults with the Ironwood. Is this common with Ironwood then?

Regards, Will
Click to expand...
I don't think it was related to the wood itself but rather bad fit and finish. Mine has a lot of small scratches and one of the blades can't be opened at all
 
Will Power said:
Looking at my GEC dealer's page, I see that on the latest run of Whalers, a large percentage of knives were withdrawn due to cosmetic faults with the Ironwood. Is this common with Ironwood then?

Regards, Will
Click to expand...

I think it might be subjective. Of the few pieces I have with Ironwood, one has some small inclusions that could be considered faults. I have a knife in amboyna burl that has similar inclusions. I do not consider it a fault though, rather the nature of a natural material that has lots of variation in grain like Ironwood and burls. The 54 Big Jack that is under the Whaler in the picture below has the inclusions that I am talking about. However, it is a remarkably beautiful wood and the "flaws" neither affect its beauty or function in my eyes. But that is just me and I understand that what I might deem fine, another might deem otherwise.

JG7diD9.jpg
 
DaRn. Bocote is tied for 5th place and Osage is in 3rd. :(
Oh well. No guarantees wood would win the finals, anyway.
I'll be happy with whatever the porch chooses. :)
 
Will Power said:
Looking at my GEC dealer's page, I see that on the latest run of Whalers, a large percentage of knives were withdrawn due to cosmetic faults with the Ironwood. Is this common with Ironwood then?

Regards, Will
Click to expand...

If it's a BF approved dealer, can you say which so I can see?

Usually, Ironwood is very attractive and, as such, comes on higher-end knives. All the Bark Rivers that have Ironwood are just as expensive as the special burl handled knives, sometimes $50-$70 more than the plain jane micarta base models just for the ironwood. It's also close to the top of the Janka hardness scale, so it's pretty durable.

My guess is that there are new employees at GEC, either to replace some who have retired now, or just to step up production to meet demand. Or, perhaps a few from the Queen factory got hired at GEC and are still learning a new standard of production. The 43 that I received and subsequently sold and the 77 Barlow that I had from the recent run both had marks on the bolsters/backspring/blade that normally would have qualified them as seconds on previous runs of knives.
 
Sorry he's not on the BF list. He may have had something to do with Trestle Pine knives.
 
mitch4ging said:
Voted for Koa, but if it wins, I will have to buy a new guitar in koa!o_O:D
Maybe just stick to bocote, save the cost!
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Well, I have a bocote fingerboard waiting for a telecaster neck ( been slacking),
and I just modded a Camillus TL27 with bocote scales.

I’m leaning towards something less “busy” for this knife.
 
`br4dz- said:
Burl. Not enough knives in burl.
Click to expand...

With burl, it’s common for there to be “checks” and small voids after the blocks have been cut into scales and they also can appear when the scales are fitted and finished. They can be unavoidable and if burl is chosen, I just hope people don’t view these as major issues and fault Buck for it.

For me, they don’t bother me if the wood has been stabilized. I’ve even filled them with CA glue, sanded, and buffed the scales and you can’t even tell a void was there. For as picky as people seem to be, I’m sure they’d be asking about repairs or returns.
 
Jsega51 said:
With burl, it’s common for there to be “checks” and small voids after the blocks have been cut into scales and they also can appear when the scales are fitted and finished. They can be unavoidable and if burl is chosen, I just hope people don’t view these as major issues and fault Buck for it.

For me, they don’t bother me if the wood has been stabilized. I’ve even filled them with CA glue, sanded, and buffed the scales and you can’t even tell a void was there. For as picky as people seem to be, I’m sure they’d be asking about repairs or returns.
Click to expand...
I know those small voids aren't "defects", but I don't much care for them. I'm leaning toward the koa because chatoyance!
 
I understand wanting jaw dropping figured grain. An acoustic guitar with koa back or sides is a thing of beauty. It comes from Hawaii, where it is so common, they make surfboards and houses out of it.

Ironwood is a slow growing, small, understory tree of N America. Super hard. Cut one up for firewood, and it’s time for a new saw chain. Likely as not, it will be straight grained, not figured, like some of the beautiful 77s we have been treated to on the What Ya Carrying thread.

The thing is, look at how narrow the scales on a stockman are. Fancy figured wood just is not going to show.
Just my opinion...
 
Small pieces of Ironwood can be stunning when freshly polished, but it does dull down rather quickly...had to catch the light just right for this shot otherwise it's rather boring.

Screenshot_20180518-172504.png


~Chip
 
I voted for Box Elder Burl and Buckeye Burl. I would be happy with the Maple or Snakewood. I love Ironwood, but think this handle would be too small to highlight the Ironwood's grain. I am not familiar with Flamewood, but it looks interesting and would be unique. I am kind of "meh" on the other ones.
 
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