Local wood for handle materials? East coast

K

Keithcellini

Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Messages
281
I was pondering what handle material to use on my first knife when it came to me... Why not use local wood that I can find where I live. Plus it is FREE! :D
Anyway, I have no clue as to what woods would make nice handle material. The knives I often see have exotic handle materials but I am sure that there has to be some good stuff laying around.

I am a New Yorker so we have tons of Oak and maple trees but that is about as far as my knowledge extends. Can you use smaller branches or are the trunks better?

Forgive my stupidity and ignorance but I really want to make this work and I am sure I am not the only one to think of this. :o
 
Only problem with using "free" wood is that usually implies you harvesting it yourself. Then you have to let the wood age and dry properly which can take quite some time, plus most woods definitely benefit from being stabilized in order to prevent shrinking and swelling with changes in humidity.

There are lots of inexpensive sources for decent wood. If you go with the oilier woods such as Bloodwood or Cocobolo then they don't have to be stabilized. Only problem is they won't take a stain or finish, but honestly don't need them either.

I have had great luck with North Coast Knives and Texas Knifemakers Supply.

Charlie
 
I just got some stabilized burl from Delbert Ealy (look in the knifemakers tools and materials for sale thread) it's great looking material. I used local walnut when I started making knives, it usually cracked within a year or two, now I use cocobolo, desert ironwood if I can get it, purpleheart and stabilised wood, and havent had splitting issues

-Page
 
I see I see. Alright, I will have to get the proper aged and dried wood. I want practice on some cheap scaps first, can oak be used? I know pine would be fne for practicing but I would like the handle to have half a chance at surviving.
 
Keithcellini said:
I was pondering what handle material to use on my first knife when it came to me... Why not use local wood that I can find where I live. Plus it is FREE! :D
Anyway, I have no clue as to what woods would make nice handle material. The knives I often see have exotic handle materials but I am sure that there has to be some good stuff laying around.

I am a New Yorker so we have tons of Oak and maple trees but that is about as far as my knowledge extends. Can you use smaller branches or are the trunks better?

Forgive my stupidity and ignorance but I really want to make this work and I am sure I am not the only one to think of this. :o
Click to expand...

There are a ton of 'local'/free woods you can use. Parts from old furniture, fence posts, grandads old walking stick, etc. Get creative.

Harvesting new wood is time consuming. You shouldn't use branches if you're going to do it though. They live under compression and will split check crack and move hella bad.
 
For my first couple of knives, and because I'm perpetually broke, I used some oak trim I bought at Lowes. It's actually worked good. I sealed it with water thin crazy glue and have had only minimal shrinkage.

Charles
 
I have seen some nicely figured oak in firewood piles,just let t dry and give it the crazy glue finish.
 
Unfortunately the sawmill here has closed. An excellent wood for handles is hard maple .Walnut is good also .Oak is too pourous for me .Do you know anyone in the cabinet or flooring business ? Scrounge for thoroughly air dried or kiln dried woodwood, you don't need warping and cracking problems.
 
Yeah, I think I will try some oak because there is plenty of it around here. The first few times around I would hate to mes up good material. I may eveb try that homemade Micarta using old jeans and fiberglass resin........

You guys are all so helpful, I appreciate your patience with me. Usually I try to answer my own questions by searching the net but sometimes you get 4 different answers to one question all of them wrong! At least here I know you are all either knife makers or knife maker apprentices! I enjoy learning and need a hobby to keep me busy and my mind active. The first blade that I tried to make is so embarrassing that I would not even post a picture of it. I don't think I should even consider it my first because I had NO tools except a dremel. It is a funny looking thing...

I hope to improve.
 
Local valley oak, Look up quarter sawn, this is how to get a nice straight grain from a log. (basically saw the log into quarters then slice off pieces to use).

BothKnives.jpg
 
On some of my first knives, I used oak strips from home depot. I used danish oil on them. They have held up nicely. They look like the ones pictured above.
 
Thise are nice... Very rustic looking which will fit the rough blade work I have done! I think my knife would look silly with a handle too nice. Perhps when my skills are up to par. Thank you for the example, a picture truly is worth 1000 words.
 
I don't know if they have any up there, but osage orange (horse apple, crab apple) is a great wood. Typically they made fence posts from it because it is highly resistant to bugs and rot. It's tough as nails, and it's a bright yellow color fresh, and turns a yellowish brown after exposure to light and air.

It grows all over Texas and Arkansas. You can get it on ebay for relatively cheap if they don't grow up there.

I just resawed 2 logs yesterday.
 
When you say apple and crab apple I think you mean actual "apple trees" If so we do have them all over and I should be able to get lots. Thanks for all the tips guys, keepem coming.

The only bad thing about knife makinf at least for me is that I am constantly thinking about it and am getting sidetracked at work. I am telling everyone I know that I want to build custom knives and the reaction I usually get "after an odd glance" is "WHY" I suppose I can't blame them because I truly did not know how great many of these custom knives are until I looked into it. Now I am hooked and since there is no way I can afford to pay someone else to make hem for me I am going to try and do it myself!

I can honestly say that I am hooked.
 
Hi Keith,
I get a lot of tiger maple when I split wood for my wood stove. It is more work than its worth but its fun when you can tell a customer that this is from the tree next door or around town.
I have a Bowie that is just finished from burls off a tree from the center of town. I was waiting a few years for them to take the trees down then I took 2 wheel barrels full of maple burl and got 12 good handles. total time laps 6years. Man hours was around 12 to 18 but that's a guess.
Hear is some pic's of the tiger maple from Connecticut.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=444435
 
Keith,

Being from Long Island myself. I can give you an idea that worked for me. If you go to the local Home depot and just check the maple shelving you can come up with some really nice figured pieces. Most weekend warriors dont want the figured stuff they like the nice smooth grained wood. I have had a lot of success with this method. the only real downside is that unless you have a good bandsaw you can't get book matched handles. Just an idea.

Paul
 
That's a great attitude Kieth!....I know there's a lot of great free wood out there cuz I go after it! But it does take more time to get it into usable pieces...ie harvesting it and cutting it into slabs to dry. I just this last fall harvested some free Plum wood which has some of the wildest bluish purple and reds in it and then I got into the root wood...wow! Got slabs of it drying now! Have to wait till its dry but it will be worth it! There's all kinds of it out there...another place I get already dry is from a hardwood flooring plant in the area which sells the cut offs as fire wood for ten bucks a pickup load...I high grade the figured pieces and burn the rest in my wood stove in the shop. Bill
 
I stayed away from local woods for a long time thinking that the only thing around here that was redily availible was oak and pecan and such. Turns out oak and pecan burls look pretty darn good stabilized. I just started picking through the wood pile and cutting up some of the blocks that even the wood splitter had a hard time tearing apart. Sent off a big box and now have several years supply of stabilized wood. Lot cheaper than buying by the piece, but all the money was upfront.

I'd suggest for the first knife or two for practice just get some hardwood off a pallat, I like watco danish oil for a natural wood as it goes deep into the wood to seal it. I did make my mother a kitchen knife several years ago with a dyed curly maple hande and soaked it for a couple of days in thined polyurithane and it's held up well over the years.
 
You guys are awesome, The fact is that I am trying to keep costs low so that I can make as many knives as possible in the beginning. You all have great ideas and I may try them all! I am howwever ignorant to the term Burl... I think it is the nicely grained areas of the wood but I would not know where to look for it. Also, does all wood have it?? Forgive my silly questions.

DAVE, You are an amazing knife maker! I would say your work reminds me of fine jewlery.

Paul, your a Long Islander too! I live in Nort Babylon....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top