Handle Material - color change over time

mb>

mb>

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I know we’ve had some discussion related to ironwood darkening over time. But it’s intermingled among random threads, so thought it might be interesting to see a collection of “new vs now” pics in one place.

Could be micarta, wood, or whatever you’ve noticed a change in over time. Didn’t see a thread specifically on this, but will gladly delete if my search fu is weak! ;)

Here is one of my more dramatic ironwood examples on a sweet Bobby Toole trapper. This one hasn’t been carried much, so it’s not from hand oils.

New:
TaRU2ail.jpg


Today, ~+4 years:
2aiDFtdl.jpg
 
2018 vs. 2023:
D2jRziz.jpg

JAfbnt4.jpg


Wood came from a charred blackened cherry stump and roots, which a coworker brought to me from his property, and deposited next to my desk, still shedding dirt and bugs everywhere. Folks in the office (including his wife 🤣) didn’t seem to understand why I was so happy to get it, and why he was so proud of his gift…

Most of the darkening is because I finished it with mineral oil.
 
My GEC 68 pony jack in Cocobolo was reddish brown and streaky. Light use and regular carry over two years or so have turned the handle very dark, nearly black.

My 73 Osage orange was distinctly golden yellow with brown-yellow grain when I bought it new in 2016. A few years of carry from 2017-2019 turned it relatively uniform medium brown.

Some wood is probably more readily oxidized than others.
 
the oils from the hands does something special, everyone's got their particular brand i suppose
 
Have a lot of Desert Ironwood - all undercover, no light. My theory is that particular wood ‘oxidises’ no matter what.

A great shame, for as we all know, it is a special wood in many ways.

Perhaps, with judicious application of fine micromesh/similar, many wooden scales would clean up and tone up rather well…
 
It's one of the reasons I've turned against Bocote. It can arrive striking, with super grain and contrasts but even kept in its GEC tube it will lose that in a few years.

Coco is the same, turns black or looks like unremarkable kitchen/school desk furniture :(

This is not developing remarkable character in my book, rather a homogenization process. At least with Ebony it stays looking good and better .
 
Some pictures will power,you were the one of the group that I thought would offer alot of evidence.and were the heck is charlie.
 
For some reason I was thinking the denser wood would repel hand oil,but again it is apparent why school was not my calling and the bush and heavy construction were.
 
Black locust. I don’t think it was ever truly as light as it appears in the first picture, but it has definitely darkened over time without losing any character. The bottom two pictures were both taken today, within minutes of each other, and the one appears so much darker than the other. Anyway, it is a deep orangey-brown color.
Gj89a6J.jpg
 
I can’t speak as to all micarta but the maroon micarta that Buck knives used back in the early 1980’s on 2 of my Buck knives has not changed color. that same can be said of the buffalo horn used on my Buck custom shop model 501 Squire. The cocobolo on an old Queen slipjoint most definitely darken. You wouldn’t be able to tell that it is cocobolo wood looking at it. It is a uniform brown these days.
 
Just Tom. said:
Black locust. I don’t think it was ever truly as light as it appears in the first picture, but it has definitely darkened over time without losing any character. The bottom two pictures were both taken today, within minutes of each other, and the one appears so much darker than the other. Anyway, it is a deep orangey-brown color.
Gj89a6J.jpg
Click to expand...

That has improved with age.
 
Just Tom. said:
Black locust. I don’t think it was ever truly as light as it appears in the first picture, but it has definitely darkened over time without losing any character. The bottom two pictures were both taken today, within minutes of each other, and the one appears so much darker than the other. Anyway, it is a deep orangey-brown color.
Gj89a6J.jpg
Click to expand...
Black locust is some awesome wood!
 
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