Malasian blackwood

Walt2

Walt2

Joined
Mar 13, 2001
Messages
1,157
Has anyone here had any experience using Malasian Blackwood for knife handles? Any drawbacks? I know that this wood is used to make guitars.
 
Walt, I've used it. I picked up a nice peice from Woodcrafters. No drawbacks at all, it works fine. Although, it's not as dark as African blackwood. It kind of reminds me of wenge when done. Shine up very well, and with buffing, it does turn blacker even though it shows more grain. Hope that helps.
 
Thanks for the info David. I just purchased a 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" x 12" piece at a good price and plan on cutting it up in blocks.
 
I cut a pair of scales out of this and put them on a knife a few days after this post and today,12-12-12, I saw that the scales have shrunk and are no longer flush with the wood. This stuff must have to cure for awhile before use.
 
Walt, I just finished up using a few smaller pieces. And though its true that it is no where near as dark as AFB, you can fix that with some vinegaroon. It will darken up to a nice deep black.
 
Vinegaroon is a dye that you use to blacken leather (and other stuff, I guess). It's made from vinegar and steel wool. I made some a while back, but I haven't gotten around to using it yet.

Here's a link to a vinegaroon tutorial on a leatherworking forum.
 
Chris, Walt... a while ago I saw a tutorial on tomahawks that had the handle going through cycles of heating followed by vinegaroon and I adopted a portion of the technique. In lighter woods it brings out the grain and highlights the natural brilliance in curls and such.
 
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