Does Snakewood need to be stabilized?

H

Hoplophile

Joined
Feb 23, 2001
Messages
435
I've heard that Desert Ironwood does not need to be stabilized. I've heard that Snakewood is almost as dense as Ironwood. So does Snakewood need to be stabilized, or not? Is it the oils and not the density that matters?
 
none of the snakewood i have used was stablized. as you mentioned ironwood, i don't think you could stabilize snakewood ether.
 
I asked Mike Ludeman at WSSI if snakewood could be stabilized. He said stabilization works with snakewood if the wood is .375 or thinner. I sent him some scales and they turned out great.
 
I would stabilize the snakewood if I were you. Just about every snakewood handled knife I have seen has cracked or split in some way. Almost all of the knifemakers I have talked to have expressed as to how difficult snakewood is to work with. I would not buy a snakewood handled knife unless I knew the wood was stabilized.
 
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