Help figuring out wood type

[David_ESM]

Fairly new into knife making. Was given a couple pieces of wood. Trying to figure out what they are, best I could figure was redwood but uncertain. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Dorito Monk]

Can't really tell from these images...

It has the usual waxy coating on it, right? If you get a bit of it exposed, or maybe a cross-section, you might be able to tell much more readily.

 

[Bolt-action bultema]

It does not look like redwood in any way. It is likely, Brazilian Rosewood, Cocobollo, Macassar Ebony, or kingwood. Al of these woods are widely available in scrap buckets in small pieces like the one shown. My first vote would be Cocobollo, or Brazilian Rosewood. But there is no way to tell for sure without removing the wax on the face.

Things to look for when you do take off the wax:
Is the grain open or closed?
How long are the fibers?
Is the darker material significantly more dense than the lighter, or about the same?
how hard is it?
When you hit it against another piece of wood, does it clack of thunk?
does it easily splinter when cut, or is it more smooth going through the saw.


Brazilian rosewood:

Cocobolo:

Macassar Ebony: (I have pieces that clearly fade to red between the black)

Kingwood:

Hope this helps

 

[Phillip Dobson]

I'd also say it's some sort of rosewood. There are dozens of rosewood species. If it's old, it might be Brazilian (dalbergia nigra), but it's likely something else. Brazilian rosewood is almost extinct and the prices for it have skyrocketed.

If it has a sweet smell when cut, it's probably a rosewood. It's hard to tell when it's covered in wax. A good test would be to see if it floats in water. If it sinks, it narrows your possibilities.

 

[Sithus1966]

Besides better pictures another thing that would help is how much do they weigh? I concur, see if they float. Stick em in a plastic bag with the air sucked out if you don't want them wet.

 

[David_ESM]

Thank you for all the information. Did a little further research starting off your guesses and I believe it is East Indian Rosewood now. And no, it doesn't sink they are actually fairly light, maybe a half pound each piece. Also they make a very high pitched clack when tapped together.

I have two pieces about 9 inches long, 2 inches square. Figure depending on the blades I can get two sets of handles out of each one.

Couple photos that might be better just because:

 

[Phillip Dobson]

It looks pretty light-colored for D. latifolia (E.I. rosewood). The stuff I've used is a very dark purple and green. It's the second-darkest rosewood I have in my shop (behind melanoxylon). Again, it's really hard to tell based on photos. The look, feel, smell, and working properties all help me ID a wood.

Your new photos are really reminding me of Asian ebony. End-grain photos would be a huge help in that case. The smell is also very distinct, too. Rosewoods are sweet (hence the name), ebonies smell kinda legumy (reminiscent of peas?).

Here's a knife I did up in Asian ebony:

With a thin-kerf saw, you shouldn't have much trouble getting three or four handle sets from each piece. Most of my fixed-blade blanks are just under 1" thick. The length will be the biggest problem. Four-and-a-half inches is a little short for many knives.

Phillip