Exotic woods - which one to stabilize?

L

lel

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Dec 26, 2006
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I have just received 10 pairs of knife scales I won on e-bay, from the reputable seller, all great looking and kiln dried. I want to send some of them for stabilization, but I am not sure which ones need it. Here is the list of what I've got: Purpleheart, Bloodwood, Nicaraguan Cocobolo, Redheart, Wormy Wenge, East Indian Rosewood, Padauk, Bocote, Yaya, and Katalox.
I know that Cocobolo does not require stabilization, and my guess is that East Indian Rosewood does not require it as well (because it's a rosewood).
I've read that some people stabilize Bocote, and some don't. Will it benefit from stabilization or I should use it as it is?
Also, Katalox looks very solid and weights a lot. I can not find any info about stabilization of this wood. Any ideas?
The rest from my list should be stabilized, am I right?

--
Sergiy
 
The list said that cocobolo hasn't been tested, but I've been told that it doesn't handle stabilization well. I've also heard that rosewoods don't handle stabilization well either. The list comes from Alpha Knife Supply.

Woods Than Responded Well To Stabilizing:
- Acacia
- Afzelia
- Alder
- Amboyna
- Black Ash
- Bamboo
- Beech
- Beefwood
- Birch
- African Blackwood
- Box Elder
- Bubinga
- Buckeye
- Canary Wood
- Carob
- Chechen
- Cherry
- Coolibah
- Cottonwood
- Carpathian Elm
- Elm
- Eucalyptus
- Gum
- Jarrah
- Koa
- Locust
- Madrone
- Santos Mahogany
- Maidou
- Brown Mallee
- Red Mallee
- Mango
- Maple
- Masur Birch
- Mesquite
- Mulberry
- Oregon Myrtle
- Tasmanian Myrtle
- Needlewood
- Australian Oak
- Oak
- Olive
- Tasmanian Olive
- Osage Orange
- Paduak
- Black Palm
- Red Palm
- Pecan
- Pink Ivory
- Pistachio
- Purpleheart
- Redwood
- Russian Olive
- Sandalwood
- Sapele
- Sheoak
- Sycamore
- Tambootie
- Teak
- Tulipwood
- Vitex
- Black Walnut
- English Walnut
- Wenge
- Woody Pear
- York Gum
- Zebrawood

Woods With Limitations:
- Bocote - May Weep Stabilant
- Ebony - Scales Only
- Asian Ebony - Scales Only
- Striped Ebony - Scales Only
- Juniper - May Weep Stabilant
- Snakewood - Scales Only
- Thuya - May Weep Stabilant
- Claro Walnut - May Turn Black
- Pacific Yew - May Weep Stabilant
- Ziricote - May Weep Stabilant

Woods Where Stabilizing Did Not Work:
- Cedar - Stabilant Did Not Polymerize
- Curly Ipe - Stabilant Did Not Penetrate
- Lacewood - Wood Turned Black
- Limba - Wood Turned Ugly
- Merbau - Stabilant Did Not Penetrate

Woods We Have Not Tested:
- Cocobolo
- Desert Ironwood
- Kingwood
 
Thank you, Scott. That's a very useful list. Found some of my woods there. What is "stabilant weeping" by the way? Does it weep during handle shaping or does it weep during normal knife use? I have a nice block of Bocote that I also wanted to stabilize, but I do not want to have any problems with it.

--
Sergiy
 
I'm making a knife with a Chechen (Black Poison Wood) handle and I'm not stabilizing it, because it is similar hardness to DIW. I trust there will be no warping etc.
 
Bocote is so tough and oily, I wouldn't bother stabilizing it. It's true that it's porous, but that doesn't seem to matter in actual use. I have a thin bocote bookmark that is two years old and aside from some patina, shows no signs of wear.

It does show a lot of movement in service, so you might have it creep a bit.
 
Most of the rosewood family don't respond to stabilization well, because they are high in fragrant oils. A general rule of thumb that I use is that if it smells when you sand it then it might not be a good candidate. The aromatic woods in the US seem to be less of a problem, I have stabliized redwood sucessfully.
Thanks,
Del
 
I've sent Paduak and Bocote scales to River Ridge Products for stabilization. They have a trial offer - up to 8 oz for $9. I'll see how it turns out. I am planning to use East Indian Rosewood for my next knife - the blade is ready and just waiting for a handle. What kind of finish do you guys use for oily non-stabilized wood? I used Cocobolo on a kit knife before, and finished it with Danish oil, but I am not very happy with a result. For some reason, the wood shrunk a little bit a few months later, it is not visible but I can fill it when I touch the knife handle. Was that wood not dry enough, or it could be something else?
 
lel, I only use gun stock wax on Desert Ironwood, and Bocote. I have had one Desert Ironwood, and one Bocote handle shrink, I think it still had a little moisture in it.
 
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