Lignum Vitae handle is splitting...help...

[moonwilson]

Lignum vitae is weird wood. I have a BRKT Bravo 1 with it, and it's strange stuff. It's so waxy that the scales always feel "sticky", no matter how many times you clean it. My scales do have a little bit of hairline cracking, but I did some research before the knife that said this is normal, and doesn't affect the strength much. The grain is not straight like most other wood, it has an intertwined, "herringbone" pattern to it. The grain is interlocked- almost as if the tree braids itself as it grows. The way the grain on my pieces looks- it seems that cracks won't propagate the way they do with most woods. The crack simply stops where the grain crosses over itself. It's hard to tell what's going on with the grain in your pictures- there's not much contrast with lignum vitae, it's hard to photograph.

 

[REB40]

I realize this thread is 5 years old...but believe me it's still relevant. I had a knife built with the option's I wanted...from a company that's been in business since 1938. I had never heard of any problem's with real Lignum Vitae being used as handle material...hell they make bearing's for propellar shaft's out of it...so I had the knife built...cost about 700,00 bucks...and it was a beauty. So I placed it out of the sheath..to display like my other knives..that was about 5 years ago. I rcently was doing a little maintanace...oiling the blades, cleaning brass hilt's..and the lignum vivtae handle had spit all the way from the hilt to the butt plate. damn, with ivory it's a given it's gonna crack...but Lignum Vitae ?...well who say's you never get to old to learn something...this old geezer learned today...a wood so dense it will sink not float.. so hard they make marine shaft bearing's out of it ....will crack on a knife handle that did nothing but lay in a showcase for 4 years.