Recommendation? How Do You Feel About Hard-Wood Scales?

Would you go for a knife with a nice looking set of exotic wood scales?

  • Yes, if it were sturdy wood, I would go for wood scales without liners.

    Votes: 12 48.0%

  • No, I wouldn't even consider it, regardless of what liners there are

    Votes: 6 24.0%

  • I would go for it, but not without steel liners

    Votes: 7 28.0%
  • Total voters
    25
SCBaldr

SCBaldr

Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
126
I've got some knives which I would love to really bring alive with a set of new scales. Thing is, I'm not a hard use kinda guy. Never have been, If I need a chopper, I'm not using my folding knife. As such, I'm the person who could carry a Benchmade 535 Bugout and never be under-knifed or worried that it's too flimsy. So I don't need the greatest in CNC'd G10 scales or carbon fiber or FRN, etc. There are a number of outfits that make these types of scales, but I don't know of any which make them out of nice woods.

I would really like to use some of the Ebony or African Blackwood or Black Ironwood I have leftover from making guitars for handle scales. IMO, said hypothetical Benchmade 535 would look and feel terrific with a set of oil finished Black Ironwood scales on it.

Do you think with my type of light EDC usage, I could get away with wooden scales on a knife like a Benchmade 535 without adding a thin set of stainless liners maybe .030" thick per side?
 
Definitely go for it, if it’s not hard use, just make sure the wood is stabilized (or waterproofed, this isn’t in my area of knowledge). I do know that you don’t want to accidentally have liquids spill on you and have all of your work ruined
 
Bill DeShivs said:
The woods you mentioned don't need to be stabilized.
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Yeah, that's one of the really nice things about the very hard, very dense, tropical oil woods. They have a small amount of naturally occurring oil between the fibers. It makes them very water resistant. Add a thin coat of linseed or tung or even Danish oil, high grit sand then polish. That's all you need for these woods. They are insanely difficult to carve with hand tools though. but if you've got the tools to make scales out of micarta or G10, you can work these woods too.
 
If it were a locking folder It would be nice to have some extra steel around the pivot, which the 535 has. Many hardwoods have tensile strength in the range of some grades of aluminum, I'd be confident right up to a destructive level of use.

The only caution is that many folk (myself included found out the hard way) are contact allergic to the oils in some Rosewoods. One pair of pistol grips had to be soaked in denatured alcohol before I could carry them inside the waistband.
 
I never would have thought of that. Which is strange considering that I'm the guy who has a serious peppermint allergy (Menthus Pepitia) I'm not allergic to spearmint or wintergreen though... Go figure. I guess Black or Desert Ironwood for you then if Dalbergia Oils are a no go.
 
I think I'm going to make a few sets out of cheaper, but still very hard Rock maple to get the process down before I start in with the pricey exotic woods. I have a Benchmade Northfork which could stand an upgrade and I've got a Blurple PM2 which could also use an upgrade.
 
SCBaldr said:
I think I'm going to make a few sets out of cheaper, but still very hard Rock maple to get the process down before I start in with the pricey exotic woods. I have a Benchmade Northfork which could stand an upgrade and I've got a Blurple PM2 which could also use an upgrade.
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Cool!

Looking forward to the pics.
 
how does on even start making their own scales?? for example for like a manix 2
 
SCBaldr said:
I've got a Blurple PM2 which could also use an upgrade.
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My S110v PM2 has been wearing bocote since a day or two after I got it.
3NThEU1.jpg
 
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M Manse "how does on even start making their own scales??"

Many knife-making supply outfits on the web have all kinds of materials for knife scales (in small sizes that you shape to fit your knife), and Rockler has them (in wood), too.
 
I have a few wood handled fixed blades. There are definitely some beautiful and exotic woods out there but I admit I'm totally content with G-10 and micarta. I'm also cheap.
 
Bocote, as stated :thumbsup:
Also, to note, the craftsmanship is not mine...the PM2 scales were made by Cuscadi. (The wood on the other knives is stock -bocote on the traditional, walnut on the fixed)
 
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You would have to use the liners where the axis rides I believe, but other than that you would be fine I guess. Sounds like a cool project and with you making guitars you probably have all the tools you would need.

Go for it!
 
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