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

That's beautiful Koa, Don!
I like fiddleback maple, or any figured wood with a blond look to it. Birch Burl often fits the bill. Lignum Vitae is up there as well.
 
Mammoth Ivory, African Blackwood, Abalone(scales), Stag Carver, many of the burls listed in this thread. Most important is the quality of finish. I am currently very much interested in high grade walnut for a project, such as that used in the high end shotgun and rifle stocks from the likes of Purdy, Holland and Holland, Westley Richards, and Boss ........ wonder if they have any off cuts? :D

Cheers,

Stephen
 
Great photo Roger!

My favorite woods are; African blackwood, English walnut, olive, box elder burl, pistachio, and curly maple. I have one knife in maidou burl that is the ti*s, from Mr. Bradshaw in fact :).
 
Stephen, I'll send you a link to the gunstock maker I buy my walnut from, he makes stocks for VERY high end firearms :).
 
Let's see, while I do prefer some really top notch fossil ivory, blue/tan Walrus in particular, or nice stag, I do sometimes like wood on bowies, with dark Walnut being a favorite, but along with others like Snakewood, Curly/Fiddleback Maple, Koa, Amboynia Burl, and as others said, Blackwood is great for it's stability, density and deep color, I have to admit, I have reached a point where for me to like Ironwood, it must have unusually interesting and appealing grain and figure, I think I may have been overexposed to it and now require it to be really top quality stuff to like it, but when it's nice, it can also be a very nice looking wood, and very stable of course. There is definitely something ancient and traditional about a very nice wood for a knife handle. Isn't it nice we have so much great stuff to choose from? :)

Burt Foster does some great things with Buckeye Burl. :) (Right Roger?) :)
 
Thanks for all the replies guys - keep 'em coming.

Two woods that have been mentioned that I haven't yet owned but sure want to at some point are snakewood and lignum vitae.

Ari, I know you have some awesome on-topic pics, so post 'em up!

Here is that Burt Foster buckeye that you mentioned ;) :

orig.jpg


Roger
 
My favorites are:
Desert Ironwood (high contrast and burl)
African Blackwood
Afzelia (burl and lay)
Mesquite burl (when you can find it)
Thuya Burl
and nicely figured Walnut.
 
Seems to me that we're seeing a wider selection of extreemly
attractive woods now, than ever before. So picking just a few
could be tough, but.....

Exebition Ironwood Burl
Fiddleback, or burl Black Walnut.
Blackwood
Amboyna Burl
Snakewood, IF it's cured and cut correctly.
 
First of all, I like stabilized woods. I like the fact that they make otherwise unsuitable woods (California Buckeye Burl, Spalted Maple...) very fitting for knife handles.

There are naysayers that say the wood does not finish as nicely when it is stabilized, or that it is too much like pakkawood/stamina wood.

Hogwash!! Stabilizing (and I am talking specifically about MSSI, and by default Alpha Knifemakers Supply) brings out the best qualities of a wood and minimizes the problems.

That said:
African Blackwood (Natural or Stabilized)
Afzelia (Stabilized)
Amboyna (Stabilized)
Bocote (Natural or Stabilized)
Desert Ironwood (Natural or Stabilized)
Ipe'(Natural)
Kingwood (Natural or Stabilized)
Lignum Vitae (Natural)
Maple (Stabilized ONLY)
Purple Heart (Stabilized)
Snakewood (Stablized)
Walnut (Stablized ONLY)

My favorite handle material is White Mother of Pearl, or stag.

Best Regards,

Steven Garsson
 
I prefer even mediocre wood over the very best plastic. :)

Here are a couple that I especially like:
A custom Anza in Coa:
AnzaCustom.jpg

A Bark River Tanto in Ambroynia Burl:
tanto.jpg


I also like anything spalted, almost anything in burl, cocobolo, desert ironwood, etc. etc.

The only material so far that's caused me to gasp in horror, dark buckeye.

-Bob
 
Thanks a lot for the responses. This is far from scientific, and does not even qualify as a poll, but I tabulated the responses from here and two other forums where I posted the same thread and these are the results.

Note – a wood had to be mentioned more than once to make this final list.

Interestingly enough, there were 4 woods that ranked WAY ahead of the rest of the pack. Why not try to guess which 4 before you read further and find out…..




The Number 1 spot, an undisputed (and unofficial) champeen of the wood: Desert Ironwood (18 responses)

orig.jpg



We have a Tie for second with Walnut (all varieties – black walnut, claro etc.)

orig.jpg



and Maple (again, all varieties – burl, fiddleback etc.) both with 15 responses.

standard.jpg


In Fourth Place – and the only other wood in double-digits, we have African Blackwood with 12 responses

orig.jpg


The Best of the Rest


Amboyna - 7 responses (including all 7 different spellings) :)

Box Elder – 6 responses

California Buckeye Burl – 5

Koa – 5

Afzelia - 4

Cocobolo – 4

Snakewood – 4

Ebony – 3

Mesquite – 3

Lignum Vitae – 3

Thuya – 3

Maidou – 3

Olivewood – 2

Ring Gidgee – 2

Birch – 2

Bloodwood - 2


Roger

PS - the suprise of the list for me - lignum vitae ties with ebony.
 
Great thread. Great photos.

A bit off topic, and I know he has angered many good forumites, but it is a darn shame that Steve Filicietti stopped making knives. Just looking at one of his handles and guards gets me going...

John Frankl
 
14 knives handled in pearl
-9 knives handled in stag
-9 knives handled in Ironwood.

Of course, these are the customs. I have no idea on the production knives, I don't catalog those as carefully.

I, also, as an aside, like Ivory micarta a great deal, and have about 9 knives handled in that material.

Good thread, and

Best Regards,

Steven Garsson
 
Right now, the "holy grail" wood I am looking for is RED spalted box elder burl. I have only seen two makers with good enough examples of this wood... Terry Primos and Nick Wheeler. I search every block of wood at every show I've gone to. One day, I will have some and will have to decide upon a maker and style of knife for it.
 
That's pretty rare stuff Mongo - best of luck on your quest. Thanks again to all for your responses.

Roger
 
Thanks for that mention Mongo! :) Interestingly, I will soon be getting back to work (when I can bend the 'ol thumb again) on a camp/hunter set for a fellow forumite with that very type of wood :D

Another forumite, will be getting the same set in another wood from my list :D

Even better, they're both part of this thread! ;)

Edited to add this shot for kicks. While my style has gotten more refined (or so I hope!) and this was my first forged bowie (or bowie at all, for that matter)... I still think this wood is pretty darn good looking :)

bgknife1374alt2.jpg


(pic borrowed from BladeGallery)
 
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