Exotic woods

etp777

etp777

Joined
Aug 12, 2002
Messages
2,259
OK, this might be a bit off topic, but don't really think so. Just wondering if anyone else has this problem, particularly low volume(read slow, at least in my case) makers such as myself.

You go wood shopping, and find a beautiful piece of wood, and pick it up, but these things aren't cheap. so you have a piece of wood that is enough for probably 20 knives, if not more(I have a 6ft long 1x12 or so piece of red heart, can imagine how many knives can be made from that), and sort of feel stuck that you need to use up a good amount of that before you have the money to go buy some new ones. Like I love bocote, but feel a bit trapped with that stuff there, don't really ahve the options I'd like to go out to Paxton and pick up some more wood to try(when I'm spending at least $50, generally closer to $70 or more every time there, it's a noticable outlay)
 
i understand well the ( outlay ) i have bought a log of Snakewood for $200.00 just for Choice knife handle material for say 10 knives , i probably have 5 year's worth of just wood , Snakewood , Bicote, Bubinga , Thuya,Cocobolo,Phillipine striped ebony,normal professionally stabilized maple , dyed and professionally stabilized maple burl i buy from a friend / wood dealer , pearl , elk horn .

no such thing as too much variety . u can't use it if you don't have it . Im not trying to be " Snooty" here just trying to agree with ya here . Wood is not cheap !:)
 
I made the mistake of going wood shoping after I had a tooth extracted and I had also taken a vicadine. Big mistake. I had bought two blocks of snakewood, enough for just two handles for 100 bucks. It was premo but I just hate snakewood, if something is going to crack thats it. I've had it crack while finishing and you can hear it when it cracks....
 
Originally posted by Raymond Richard
. It was premo but I just hate snakewood, if something is going to crack thats it. I've had it crack while finishing and you can hear it when it cracks....
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I agree. I won't even use it anymore. I've even had professionally stabilized snakewood shrink, and swell. No more.:eek:
 
Guess the real answer is I need to get off my butt and finish some mroe so I can get in some money to buy some more wood.

But not snakewood it seems. Glad for the warning, as i've always thought it looked cool, and probably woulda bought some. but if it's that much of a pain, I'm not gonna mess with it
 
Originally posted by etp777
Guess the real answer is I need to get off my butt and finish some mroe so I can get in some money to buy some more wood.
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Try "Vera Wood" if you can find it. It has a somewhat greenish tint, like Lignum Vitae, and has a herringbone pattern to the grain. Most unusual. I really like the stuff.:D
 
I have a couple of ideas. Some places to buy small quants of wood, Aussie Fan Tom, curly woods, and Chuck Bybee. I also have some bacote blocks we could trade for. Put a dot com behind the first two to visit their web page. I found these guys through ebay, contacted them and got just what I wanted.
 
Mike, I used some Lignum Vitae when I first started making and also when I just did scales. It was beautiful, looked like cats eye or tiger eye buffed out. Looked at it the next day and it cracked in a number of pieces. I was shocked, never used it since...
 
I like to buy from Paxton because it's local, and I can check out the woods myself beforehand. For instance, Red heart I had, most every piece I've seen for sale didn't have much for figure. wasn't bad, but nothing spectacular, but piece of this board looks like flames, nice waves, curves, etc in the grain. Just waiting until I work some of other partrs and get used to how it works, and decide what finish I like to bring that figure out best before I use it(and until I finish some more knives. :) )
 
You can always trade your excess to other knifemakers for a different wood or nything else you might want. You can also sell it at blacksmith meetings or bladesmithing hammer-ins. Just some ideas since I almost always buy larger boards from a shop locally. You'd be surprised how quick a board dissapears when you start cutting it up to trade or sell.
 
I used to by my exotics from Seiwers because they were local but I had the same problem. Unless they had a cut off, I spent 50.00 to 80.00 each time.

I started going to the local Woodcrafters lately and to be honest, they have the best selection of exotics I've ever seen. Last week I bought enough purple heart for about 3 knives for under 10.00.

I passed on a cut off of Red Heart that would easily have done 10 knives for 26.00. It's hard to beat if you have one in your area.
 
Will look into that.

Saying i spent $70 to 80 dolalrs though, both times I got at least two boards, and one time also got belt cleaner, etc. so prices aren't that bad. as I came to conclusion earlier, real problem is that I just need to get off butt and finish some of these things. :)

The idea on trading though is definitely an idea, and I will check out woodcrafters too when time allwos(if ther'es one around here). Been working 50 hours a week or more lately, but hopefully within am onth will be wrapping up this big project, and then can have more time for other things, like knives. Least, I better find enough time to finish the KITH2 knife, if nothing else, or J will be annoyed. :)
 
My first love is beautiful wood!

Before we were in the supply business I used to go to the wood stores and buy wood I liked. I had no idea what I was going to use the wood for. I just bought pieces that looked good to me. Now most of those pieces have been cut into knife handles. ;)

Snakewood is my favorite, but like a gorgeous women it will break your heart. We bought a 48” x 9” snakewood log for $1300 a few years ago (wholesale price). The log had been drying for over ten years. When we cut open the log it was shattered inside. The total sales from the log was $800. However, some of the pieces were exhibition quality.

Myles Gilmer of Gilmer Wood Company told us he has watched loggers spend days preparing the “landing site” for a snakewood tree. They cut brush and pile it up where the tree falls in an attempt to cushion the fall of the tree. After several days of work the tree was felled and shattered on impact. The loggers left the tree and started preparing another landing site. Snakewood is beautiful but nasty.

Mike Hull mentioned Vera wood. I don’t know why this wood is not more popular. It has the herringbone grain Mike mentioned and is a light green color. The grain is interlocked so if it splits it will not come apart. It is in the same family as lignum vitae. It is almost as tough as lignum but looks nicer.

We go on wood buying trips every few months. Last year at this time our trip covered 4,500 miles. We arrived home with over 3,000 pounds of wood. Gradually our suppliers are learning what we like and are setting aside wood for us. I love this business

Feel free to call or e-mail me anytime you want get rid of highly figured wood.
 
peter

where's the woodcrafters you go to?
 
Yes we do carry vera wood but we only have four pieces left.
Natural Woods

The pictures of vera on our website are terrible (overexposed). I'll send you a better picture if you want me to.
 
nah...don't bother...

send me the real thing instead!

order being placed...

thanks!

Dan
 
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