IRONWOOD- Love it or Hate it ?

Methuselah

Methuselah

Joined
Feb 7, 2015
Messages
931
just looking for your experience w/ ironwood burl. what's good about it ? what's bad about it? interesting info about it you can share would be great. sand it ? drill it ? file it ? bleach it ? when will it shrink ? freezze it ? sheathe it or display it? oil it, buff it or burn it ? me i like it. However, at this point it is still just a pair of scales. thanks all.
 
Please do a general search in this forum for "ironwood".. It's one of the hardest and best knife handle materials available. It has beautiful figure, needs only a relatively fine sanded finish, and is kind of expensive because it is protected due to scarce availability and high demand in most areas where it grows. It is easy to work with burrs, files, and sanding paper but will wear cutting tools such as saw blades and drill bits. If shaping with a belt grinder, it is a good idea to use sharp and relatively course belts to get the generally desired shape. . . and then finish with hand shaping methods such as sandpaper strips, files, etc. Machine grinding with worn belts will burn the wood while cutting it, leaving a distinct odor and inferior luster.
 
Good for grips, bad for lungs, stains your skin and can sometimes turn dark and lose most of its color. It looks really good with brass or bronze hardware, which sucks because I hate yellow metal...The nicer pieces and burls do have some of the most beautiful figure you will find in any wood, but it is pretty demanding stuff to work with and you never know when you will grind into a check. I like it but am very selective about using it.
 
I like it. I don't think its any harder to use than micarta. A respirator is a must when using ironwood. I wish it wasn't so expensive.
 
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