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 .
I think even the regular, not burled, ironwood is nice. There's not a lot of figure to the grain on my 77, but I like it a lot. I'd rather have a plain looking wood than a bunch of weird spots and voids.
77 Barlow Ironwood 4.jpg
 
I’m in with the majority really good conservative choices. If it stays on track I’m in.
Thanks,
 
Amir Fleschwund said:
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.
Click to expand...
I put a bocote fingerboard on the last neck I made as well. Pretty stuff.
 
It could certainly change, but if the final poll was right now, only counting the leaders, I'd rank them like this:

1. Jigged bone
2. Iron Wood
3. Burlap Micarta

If something other than Jigged bone wins the animal poll, I would possibly go iron Wood first (or Koa / Osage if they pull off the upset here).

Not sure any synthetic has much of a chance to win my overall top vote...but who knows.
 
I think the wood stands a chance of overall victory. Rather disappointed by this group-think for Jigged Bone, it's not going to be like GEC jigged bone :rolleyes: but some people pay no attention to realities.....;):D

BUT it depends which wood:D Or will somebody start spinning the idea of JIGGED WOOD for yet another poll:eek: but which type of jigging?;) :D:D
 
Koa is a beautiful wood. If hardness and durabilty are something you look for in wooden knife handles, keep in mind that is has quite a bit less hardness and density than Ironwood, Ebony, Cocobolo, or Bocote, for example. It comes in at a Janka hardness closer to Maple.

http://www.wood-database.com/koa/
 
Will Power said:
I think the wood stands a chance of overall victory. Rather disappointed by this group-think for Jigged Bone, it's not going to be like GEC jigged bone :rolleyes: but some people pay no attention to realities.....;):D

BUT it depends which wood:D Or will somebody start spinning the idea of JIGGED WOOD for yet another poll:eek: but which type of jigging?;) :D:D
Click to expand...

Before we add another poll, I think we should have a poll to determine the necessity/desire for more polls.
 
Will Power said:
I think the wood stands a chance of overall victory. Rather disappointed by this group-think for Jigged Bone, it's not going to be like GEC jigged bone :rolleyes: but some people pay no attention to realities.....;):D

BUT it depends which wood:D Or will somebody start spinning the idea of JIGGED WOOD for yet another poll:eek: but which type of jigging?;) :D:D
Click to expand...
Will you're full of great ideas! What about something like this? :D (unfortunately not my knife / pic)
DSC_0318-L_1024x1024.jpg
 
Very nice checquering indeed! But only works on Barehead. Hey let's drop a bolster on this make it a unique Barehead Stockman (type..):D:eek:
 
Pomsbz Pomsbz Wood database rates Koa at 1170 on the Janka hardness scale (about like walnut or maple). Desert Ironwood is rated at 3260 on the same scale.
One of the reasons Desert Ironwood is favored by knife makers is it's stability. It is less subject to changing size (shrinkage/expansion) or movement then other hard woods. Thus fewer pin cracks even after many, many years.
 
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