about wood scales

[hirokatsu]

Hi Im having trouble picking scales for my new knife and I would like to get wood so I would like to know how wood holds up for an edc like how long does it last how long will it look nice and what about stabilized wood and also what do you guys think about desert iron wood.

 

[Ilovetoolsteel]

Hi Im having trouble picking scales for my new knife and I would like to get wood so I would like to know how wood holds up for an edc like how long does it last how long will it look nice and what about stabilized wood and also what do you guys think about desert iron wood.

Stablized wood is great but it's pricey, On the plus side you can get burled wood that would never hold up on a knife handle if un-stablized. Plus you don't need any finish to protect it. The stablizing material has saturated the wood making it in effect a plastic. You just sand it to the desired smoothness, then buff it if you want a glossy shine.

I love Ironwood but again it costs like hell! I hate power sanding it because when it gets a little too hot it smells like burnt popcorn. Ironwood is tough as nails and it dulls woodworking tools fast. It will dull your drill bits and even your carbide tooth saws, (I think it has a lot of silica in it) Some people don't use a finish on ironwood, they just apply a wax, some use a tung oil sealer.

The other beauty of stablized wood is it doesn't shrink and expand with the seasons. The shrink expand cycle can really suck on a full tang knife. The perfectly flush fit of a knife made from normal wood in the summer will have the pins or rivets slightly proud of the handle and the sharp corner of the tang will be slightly exposed in the cold dryness of the winter.

The tropical woods will shrink and expand less than their non tropical counterparts like maple and walnut, they also tend to stand up to a little more abuse because they are for the most part denser.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

For wood that is tough,wears well,looks good, and last a long - time try Desert Ironwood.Cocobola ,African Blackwood,and Rosewood do well,too.
Stacy

 

[Steve Hayden]

I like Mesquite a lot, too. It is very hard, very stable and will not shrink or crack. It does darken some with age, but it looks better as that happens. Mesquite burl and crotchwood are both beautiful. It is also plentiful and not endangered, like Ironwood is.