Got wood? Or, what's your favourite handle material?

RogerP

RogerP

Joined
Feb 28, 2002
Messages
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I'm a big fan of wooden handles on a knife - the seemingly endless variation in colour, texture and grain provide ample choice. Plus, being a natural handle material, no two pieces will ever be exactly the same.

So what's your favourite wood? Makers, what's your most requested wood? Purveyors, what's your most popular wood? Post up a pic of your favourite wood-handled knife if you have one. :)

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Top to bottom, wood / maker:

Dan Farr / English walnut
Brett Gatlin / African Blackwood
Bailey Bradshaw / maidou burl
Russ Andrews / black walnut
Steve Filicietti / box elder burl


Roger
 
Wow- That's an awesome photo Roger! :cool:

I'm pretty addicted to Ironwood. I love its looks, and it's working properties...plus it is the one wood that can usually pass with even the "wood snobs."

There are SOOO many gorgeous woods. I feel just as you do about it... I think wood is FANTASTIC!

Some of my favorites-

Afzelia Burl and Afzelia Lay
African Blackwood
Amboyna Burl
Box Elder Burl (healthy or spalted)
Black Ash Burl
California Buckeye Burl
Claro Walnut (both burl and curly/fiddleback)
Koa (curly/fiddleback)
Maidou Burl (I only have 1 small piece but this stuff is awesome!)
Maple (curly/fiddleback or burl)
Ring Gidgee
Redwood burl (has to be super tight figure)
Ziricote

Well, that's it for now. I'll probably think of a bunch more later :)
 
I at one time did not like wood as a handle material ..that is until I saw a piece made by AT Barr with Iron wood. Since that time I have aquired several knives with presentation grade Ironwood.

I also would throw my lot in with maple burl...it is also a excellent material.


Ren
 
Presentation Desert Ironwood is usually the wood of choice but are always doing what a customer is requesting as far as stabilized woods go too. Here's a Chute with Box Elder on it.
 

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You must have an amazing collection,Roger.Those knives in the pic are stunning.All of them.What is the wood on the second knife,guessing blackwood or ebony?It is the pick of the litter,for me.The walnut handled knife above it is a real close second.I like ironwood,cocobolo and curly maple.Walnut too.Don't have a walnut handled one yet,but may remedy that soon with a subhilt currently for sale on the forums. :thumbup: :D
 
Cindy Denning said:
Presentation Desert Ironwood is usually the wood of choice but are always doing what a customer is requesting as far as stabilized woods go too. Here's a Chute with D-Irownwood on it.
Click to expand...

Cindy, that looks like some kind of fancy stabilized walnut to me, more than Desert Ironwood. But, whatever it is, it's beautiful.


My favorites include:

Amboyna
Afzalia
Blackwood
Walnut
Box Elder
Ringed Gidgee
Maple
Mesquite
 
Some of you may have seen these, I recently took a dive into ironwood and loved it:
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but I am also a fan of dyed burl of all colors:.
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I like California Buckeye and maple. Ironwood is really pretty, but the ones I have darkened over time and lost their contrast.

Jack
 
I like almost any with alot of burl and figure. I don't like the looks of the same woods with straight grain. Like I find cocobolo or ironwood with straight grain boring, but love them when they have swirls.

I love how maple can have such variety...curly tiger stripe, burl, quilted, and they all look good.
 
leatherbird said:
What is the wood on the second knife,guessing blackwood or ebony?It is the pick of the litter,for me.
Click to expand...

It is African backwood on a big camp knife by Brett Gatlin. I have now edited in the makers' names and the wood - thanks.

Roger
 
My favorites are curly maple, and black walnut. I just bought a small knife with a "corkbark" wood. It's Australian and looks like a cross between oak with a tight grain and canvas micarta. Wierd to describe, but neat.

Anyone ever use wormy chesnut on a knife? It's strong and light. Maybe it would have to be stabilized..
David
 
To quote many customers, "a wood handle of any kind as long as it is exhibition grade." My personal favorite wood is snakewood. Smells nice...like nutmeg...takes and incredible polish and has unique figure. Second would be African blackwood for it's stability and polishability.
 
Bailey Bradshaw said:
To quote many customers, "a wood handle of any kind as long as it is exhibition grade."
Click to expand...

That sounds somewhat familiar.... :rolleyes: ;)

Roger
 
Burly ironwood or walnut are my favorite. I also like thuya burl. I like spalted woods a lot. I dislike dyed woods typically. Blackwood is great too, but I don't have anything in it.
 
I think Box Elder, Amboyna, and California Buckeye. Spalted maple is pretty, too. I don't like dyes a whole lot, but if the color is just an accent of the wood's color, I like it a lot, or if it's really faint, like a slightly green box elder.
 
Well three of my favorite types of wood are:

Stabilized birch burl:
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Ironwood:
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and Yew burl.
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Of course there are many more, but theese are some of the best.

Regards
/Magnus
 
I'm a fossil ivory guy myself. But I do like fiddle back and burl Walnut. Here's a pic of some Koa wood I just cut, the pieces in the middle have a 120 grit finish and a little oil wiped on them so you can amagine what it'll look like with a proper finish, (very 3D looking) the other pieces are right off the saw. This is beautiful wood and I plan to use some on up coming bowies.

Some great knives you guys have posted so far.

Don Hanson lll sunfishforge.com
 
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