Burl handle changing over time?

weo

weo

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Hello all. I was visiting my brother and noticed that the handle on a chef's knife I made for him 6-7 years ago (K&G stabilized maple burl) is no longer smooth, but has a texture almost like the burl eyes absorbed moisture and raised up, or the opposite.
Has anyone else ever noticed anything like this, and if so, can you explain how/why?
Thanks.
 
Richard338 said:
My guess... dishwasher.
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It's possible...
I was going to make another thread asking if makers get disappointed at family members who don't take care of their damascus knives... All of their knives are rusty, which is a little disappointing to me. But on the other hand, he says they are his favorite knives and he uses them every day. And I tell everyone that my knives are meant to be used, not put on a display.
 
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Did a little experiment recently. Stabilized black ash. Dropped in ferric chloride for about 10 minutes just to see if i could bring out damascus on full tang blades No effect except a little darkening that cleaned up with steel wool and light polishing.
Then tried same stabilized material in coffee mix for etching damascus. Wood grain popped out/up.
 
Stabilized wood will still absorb some moisture, that’s why it can still warp and shrink. One of the reasons I use woods very sparingly Stabilized or not. They will not hold up with time for the average person using them in my opinion.
 
Joshua Fisher said:
Stabilized wood will still absorb some moisture, that’s why it can still warp and shrink. One of the reasons I use woods very sparingly Stabilized or not. They will not hold up with time for the average person using them in my opinion.
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I'm aware of the minor growth/shrinkage, which is why I stopped using metal spacers or bolsters. I've just never experienced this throughout the handle or with other burl pieces.
I typically finish my handles with 800-1000 grit, and this one has a definite texture throughout the handle.
It's not bad, actually and if I knew how to do it without having to subject it to a dishwasher, I might play around with it.
 
I have the same effect, although just slight, on some of the first knifes I did with home stabilized poplar burl. I do use the knifes daily, and they will spend some time with other dirty dishes and the handles will get soaked and wet from time to time. No dishwasher though.

A quick sand and a coat of CA/true oil would make it good for other 10 years.

I stopped using carbon steel in kitchen due to the additional effort in keeping them rustfree.
 
Just as an alternate perspective ( nah … I never do that!) … maybe it is misleading/ incorrect / doomed-to-failure to expect that once made, a knife ( handle and blade ) will not change or degrade. repeated sharpening moves the edge back and increases the TBE. Unless extremely diligent, use will cause darkening/patina/ rust. Handle material will absorb/ desorb water and shrink/ swell.

I have 40 year old sabatier carbone knives that have a very slight patina, but I am extremely diligent about wiping blades dry and blocking them. My parents on the other hand destroyed several knives in short order by leaving them overnight in sink water. I have several pretty expensive blades with a variety of handle material ( natural wood, laminated material, stabilized wood) that just on their own have shrunk or swelled, leaving bolsters/rivets/ adjacent material either proud or sunk.

can’t change it … it’s just time and exposure to environment. Much of this can be “ fixed” though ( for those who care). Others just won’t care.

curiously, the ONLY knives I have that have not shifted handle material are those old sabatier knives. The handle material is a black synthetic (POM …) and all the handles are still flush against the bolsters and pins…. Go figure
 
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