Handle Material Poll

Which handle for a Model 1 replica?

  • African Blackwood

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Goncalo Alves - this piece has a nice orangey color

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Desert Ironwood

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Macassar Ebony

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Gabon Ebony

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Black Palm

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Bocote - this board is remarkable!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Padauk

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
ddavelarsen

ddavelarsen

Joined
Dec 7, 2000
Messages
5,179
I'm really curious what a collector would prefer for a handle. I'm working on a replica Randall Model 1-5 with a single finger grip handle. The blade is mirror finished and will have a hardwood handle. What would your preference be? This is what I've narrowed it down to, but if you have other suggestions I'm interested in hearing them.
 
Last edited:
lignum vitae is missing. love that stuff.
 
I voted bocote.I can't help it I love the stuff. Ijust made a couple of cooking spoons from some nice bocote.
 
I voted for DI in the poll but I would have liked to have seen Cocobolo and Walnut included,
preferably DH III's Ozark Walnut.
There has been a run on that lately. :cool:

Doug
 
I voted for the Gonco Alves. I think the orange-ish color would be a pretty good match for the normal leather washer handle. I would prefer the wood over the leather anyday, BTW.
 
I'd like to see a photo of that bocote board....

I usually use blackwood and ironwood on my own knives. I really like the variety ironwood can take. Both handle stress well, too.

Ebony is an incredible contrast wood. I use it often to accent other woods in my boxes. It seems a little plain for a handle, unless there's something else going on.

My favorites are the unusual boards. The one-of-a-kind material that's amazing regardless of species.

Phillip
 
firebert said:
I'd like to see a photo of that bocote board....


Phillip
Click to expand...

:D I knew that was coming. I will try to take a photo of that board, but I'll do it without finishing a surface. That's the main reason I didn't include photos of these choices; didn't want to use the time to finish them for photos. But that particular board I think will photograph okay without any work.

Thank you all very much for your input. DI is currently leading in the poll, with the Blackwood running a close second. Both are beautiful pieces of wood! I'm really hesitant to commit that Ironwood, because it's a truly fine piece (IMHO) and becoming very hard to acquire. And I hesitate to try to buy more because the trees are suffering so much from over harvesting. Does anyone else have that problem? Unwillingness to use rare materials because of their irreplaceability? It's like 'saving the best for last' for me. ;)

Anyway. I appreciate the ongoing suggestions; thanks for your help and please keep it coming. It'll likely be a couple of weeks yet before this knife is ready for photos.
 
Phillip, here's a picture of the bocote. The color is off and I'm not literate enough with Photoshop to true it up; I took the photo with available light at 4:30 am on the green formica surface of my desk... :D The dark grain is a fine coffee color, with the lighter streaks almost like milk chocolate. It's truly beautiful; when finished the color really pops. I've used this board once before with real satisfaction.

bocote_sm.jpg


Thanks again,
 
DI is a great choice as are most of the woods listed. I love Black Palm when it fits the application. The end grain on it is spectacular.

Hope to see the knife when it is done.

Peter
 
Dave, not to be contrary, but I would have to go with Cocobolo. If not an option than Ironwood.
 
ddavelarsen said:
Phillip, here's a picture of the bocote. The color is off and I'm not literate enough with Photoshop to true it up; I took the photo with available light at 4:30 am on the green formica surface of my desk... :D The dark grain is a fine coffee color, with the lighter streaks almost like milk chocolate. It's truly beautiful; when finished the color really pops. I've used this board once before with real satisfaction.

bocote_sm.jpg


Thanks again,
Click to expand...

Nice material. To me it looks like Ziricote (cordia dodecandra), a close relative of bocote (they sometimes exchange names). I really like ziricote, the landscape grain, and incredible polish. This piece appears to be quatersawn. You get that lizard-skin medulary flake pattern on quartersawn slabs. I wish more people would use this material in knife-handles. I use it a lot in boxes (no handles yet).

Phillip
 
firebert said:
Nice material. To me it looks like Ziricote (cordia dodecandra), a close relative of bocote (they sometimes exchange names). I really like ziricote, the landscape grain, and incredible polish. This piece appears to be quatersawn. You get that lizard-skin medulary flake pattern on quartersawn slabs. I wish more people would use this material in knife-handles. I use it a lot in boxes (no handles yet).

Phillip
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for the update Phillip and Todd. I'll go mark it now so I don't misinform anyone in the future what I used. It's a beautiful piece of wood and I'm dying to use it on something again.

I appreciate all the responses. There is a definite trend toward African Blackwood with Desert Ironwood running a close second. I'm not sure whether to count the written responses in addition to the poll responses, but I probably will add them together. Because this knife is going to be laying on a table one day I want to give it its best presentation. This is the only time I've asked for recommendations up front from anyone except my wife, and in this case you folks are the ones with the more finely honed awareness - so you get to make the choice for me. :) I'm digging it.

I'll use the ziricote on something for the show too though. ;) Keep em coming and thanks again.
 
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