Bad idea to use non-stabilized wood scales?

Bob Ohlemann

Bob Ohlemann

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Dec 5, 2013
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Another noobie question. I've been looking at scale materials for my first knife projects and I'm wondering about woods. I understand that those beautiful, spalted, end grain burls need to be resin stabilized. What about woods like straight cut maple or walnut? Is it best to stick with all stabilized wood or can a quality, durable handle be produced without it? I was searching for a list of woods that would be acceptable without stabilizing but, couldn't find anything.

Bob
 
Well, like I said, I'm new to this and just getting started on my first knives. I will not be selling them but, I will be giving them as gifts. I do have very high standards and would not even gift a knife I didn't feel was the best I could do.

Bob
 
I would go stabilized, its pretty cheap 30-45 for lightly figured piece and is more pleasant to work with.
In the long run the durability factor is where stabilized wins, since it absorbs no water it will not shrink or expand on your knife.
 
It depends on the wood. Stabilized wood will still change over time and environments. Its not G10 or micarta even if it is plastic like. I know it seems like most collectors want stabilized wood and in some cases like burl or spalted wood it is a very good idea. However they used non stabilized wood for centuries and it worked out pretty good. I have a blade in my kitchen I made a year or so ago and use it almost every night that has natural olive wood scales that still look great today.

I like personally working with natural woods as well, you just have to know the difference when working with them.

Not saying stabilizing isnt a good idea on some stuff, just be open to both.
 
Good thread! I just bought my first piece of wood today. it's non-stabilized Wenge wood. this stuff is heavy and hard as hell! has anyone tried it? thanks
 
A couple decades ago, I was into making fine wooden boxes. I used all kinds of interesting and figured woods. Some were very dense and relatively stable without finishing while others were lighter, more porous, and prone to movement with fluctuation in the humidity. That experience leads me to believe that heavier woods such as rosewood, cocobolo, ebony, paduk, and such, might do well without stabilizing.

It would be interesting to hear from the experienced makers what woods they would use without stabilizing and what woods they would never use without stabilizing.

Another question occurs to me; what about liners with unstabilized hardwoods? If one were to use a flexible epoxy such as g/flex, can it be dependable with something like ironwood?

Bob
 
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Wipe the ironwood 3 times with clean rags each time soaked in acetone to remove the surface oil. Use G-flex and you should be good to go.
Tim
 
The dense oily tropical woods do well even when not stabilized. I prefer the feel of un stabilized wood, but know stabilized wood is preferred by a lot of people. Black walnut, rosewood, padauk, cocobloo, zebrano, and many others function fine without stabilization. Even hard maple when finished with ting oil is durable.
 
Gotta remember that alot of those woods wont even take stabilization. Usually they will tell you which ones will and wont but remember they charge you by the final weight of the wood in total. Not just the difference of weight gain. Just weigh the pros and cons and look into which ones need it. Or if your just getting a occasional piece buy it off of someone like Mark and call it a day.
 
I have barely any experience. I just finished my fourth knife and I was thinking the same thing before I started. After some research I learned that African Blackwood doesn't really need stabilizing as it's full of natural oil. One of the most dense woods.
 
zealot said:
Good thread! I just bought my first piece of wood today. it's non-stabilized Wenge wood. this stuff is heavy and hard as hell! has anyone tried it? thanks
Click to expand...

Wenge is quite stable. It's nice to work with and polishes well.
 
Of course you can use good quality hardwoods that are not stabilized. Take a look at some old kitchen knives. I have paring knives in my kitchen with maple and walnut handles that are over 30 years old. There are some checks, a few gaps between the scales and the tangs, but that's kinda to be expected when you wash the handles in hot water almost every day... It depends on what type of knife you are making and what type of use and care it will get
 
I'm pretty sure the scales my buck 110 from the 80's are not stabilized. It's in great shape, and shows its character. There are a couple of pits in it from the years of use but is otherwise good.
 
Bronze and iron were used for centuries as a blade material. Times change, progress is made and materials get better.

If you are not selling knives, use whatever you want.

If you are tying to make a living selling knives, consider the image you are conveying by not using stabilized woods. Custom knife collectors want their knives to last, work well and/or be an investment. Does the collector think you choose a natural wood over professionally stabilized wood because you are too cheap? Do they then ask themselves if the knifemaker skimps on materials how good is their heat treating? Think about how your customer perceives you by the knife you make.

If you want to know the woods we've successfully had professionally stabilized, ask. It has been posted a few times.

Chuck
 
I rarely use unstabilized wood, although it can obviously hold up fairly well, with a good deal of care and maintenance.

I chuckle when so many people say "yeah but unstabilized woods have been used on guns and knives for centuries, and some of them are still around". Those folks tend to ignore the fact that almost all of those knives and guns are not still around... nor are the furniture pieces, which have been exposed to far less climate forces and use...the ones we see in museums are, well, museum pieces. There's a reason they're so rare.

Let me put it this way... "natural" walnut and maple make very good, comfortable, beautiful handles, but they WILL shrink and swell and probably check and crack. That's not a threat, it's a fact.

Professional stabilizing (not DIY stuff like a jar of hot minwax :rolleyes:) will greatly reduce the problems and increase the working life of those woods. But even the very best stabilizing cannot completely eliminate the problems.

Is pro-level stabilizing worth it? Of course it is.

In the interest of full disclosure, I mostly use G10 for my handles.
 
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james terrio said:
I rarely use unstabilized wood, although it can obviously hold up fairly well, with a good deal of care and maintenance.

I chuckle when so many people say "yeah but unstabilized woods have been used on guns and knives for centuries, and some of them are still around". Those folks tend to ignore the fact that almost all of those knives and guns are not still around... nor are the furniture pieces, which have been exposed to far less climate forces and use...the ones we see in museums are, well, museum pieces. There's a reason they're so rare.

Let me put it this way... "natural" walnut and maple make very good, comfortable, beautiful handles, but they WILL shrink and swell and probably check and crack. That's not a threat, it's a fact.

Professional stabilizing (not DIY stuff like a jar of hot minwax :rolleyes:) will greatly reduce the problems and increase the working life of those woods. But even the very best stabilizing cannot completely eliminate the problems.

Is pro-level stabilizing worth it? Of course it is.

In the interest of full disclosure, I mostly use G10 for my handles.
Click to expand...

Well said... Stabilizing never hurt anything in my opinion. Natural woods are fine, just keep in mind even the knives you intend to keep for yourself could wind up in someone else's hands someday. Someone who won't know how to properly oil and maintain natural woods...

Cheers.
 
I used straight grained woods of all hardwood species for years. If it's dry you can use it . I sold hundreds of hunting knives with these woods and they where very popular. No, I didn't even hear of one that managed to get a split handle after a long time of being used. When you do start selling what will you be asking? What will the be the cost of the knife? Sure it's easy to see where stabilized fancy woods with a cost of $40 - $50 are the way to go IF the rest of the knife is worth it. That won't be a knife selling for $125 or so will it? Great looking wood isn't going to help get you big money for a knife that in truth is poorly made. I've read here where makers have said they have a wood pile of this or that in there back yard that's been there for years and wonder if it will work well on a knife. Boy what a break in the costs of the knife if that is so !!! Frank
 
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