Note I I by the Wood Freak

J

J. D. Martin

Joined
Dec 6, 2001
Messages
59
Note II by the Wood Freak

Proposition : The quality, and the availability, of Micarta, Pakkawood, and all the rest of synthetic materials for use on knife handles has rocketed up through the ozone recently. Reciprocally, the use of natural woods has waned. Based on the merits (and the negligible demerits) of natural woods as handle materials, the use of exotic woods should halt its decline.


Hereinbelow pls find a modest list of 8 exotic woods which, by their exceptional color, color contrasts, density, figure, grain, finish, hardness, ductility, tactility, weight, exoticness, etc. deserve wider application. Each of the eight woods named is accompanied by two short descriptions: (1) by Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies, Inc., catalog pp. 24-25; (2) by Sheffield Knifemaker's Supply, Inc., catalog pp. 16-17. These catalog descriptions are fairly objective; your compare-and-contrast of (a) K & G's version, vs. (b) Sheffield's version, may scrub out inconsistencies.

All my hand-wringing, hem-hawing and throat-clearing noises has, what, filled a page? I'll start the Text of Note II in a separate box. --- JDM

Why Bore the Reader with (total: 16)Encyclopedia Excerpts? Borring Borring Borring

Chances are you will find the wood descriptions below luscious and
mouth-watering. If you dont.... luckily, I think, after robust market testing, it will be found that your numbers are small; and we Wood Freaks are like The Borg:

"We Are The Borg.
Resistance Is Futile.
You Will Be Assimilated."


8 EXOTIC WOODS
 
I don't know if you are aware of this, but knifemakers have been using exotic wood for centuries.

Most of the makers here have used much of what is available, and some that probably isn't.
Below are just a few of the links to places we have all done business with.
http://www.aussiefantom.com/.

http://www.akc.iinet.net.au/woodpage.html

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~woodlink/eugene.htm

http://yumahardwoods.homestead.com/ironwood.html

http://yumahardwoods.homestead.com/flameironwood.html

http://www.stabilizedwood.com/

http://www.saw-online.com/Resource/Burl.htm

http://knifehandle.homestead.com/knifescale7.html

http://www.exoticburl.com/\

http://www.gilmerwood.com/Default.htm

http://www.lumberlady.com/index.htm

http://www.recofor.com/DesktopDefault.aspx

http://www.anexotichardwood.com/

http://www.eisenbran.com/
 
Roses are red, J.D. Martin's a quack
from his post it's clear, he's missed his prozac
he rants and he raves and makes little sense
Is he just being silly, or really quite dense
So post on my friend, please visit here more
cause I am searching my pile for a new 2X4
 
I guess once in a while it is good to be reminded that we are, by and large, reasonably normal...

Whew!

Dave
 
Can't believe it but I'm actually drawn to see what the other 21 posts say! Call it morbid curiousity...
 
Originally posted by J. D. Martin
Note II by the Wood Freak

Proposition : The quality, and the availability, of Micarta, Pakkawood, and all the rest of synthetic materials for use on knife handles has rocketed up through the ozone recently. Reciprocally, the use of natural woods has waned. Based on the merits (and the negligible demerits) of natural woods as handle materials, the use of exotic woods should halt its decline.


Hereinbelow pls find a modest list of 8 exotic woods which, by their exceptional color, color contrasts, density, figure, grain, finish, hardness, ductility, tactility, weight, exoticness, etc. deserve wider application. Each of the eight woods named is accompanied by two short descriptions: (1) by Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies, Inc., catalog pp. 24-25; (2) by Sheffield Knifemaker's Supply, Inc., catalog pp. 16-17. These catalog descriptions are fairly objective; your compare-and-contrast of (a) K & G's version, vs. (b) Sheffield's version, may scrub out inconsistencies.

All my hand-wringing, hem-hawing and throat-clearing noises has, what, filled a page? I'll start the Text of Note II in a separate box. --- JDM

Why Bore the Reader with (total: 16)Encyclopedia Excerpts? Borring Borring Borring

Chances are you will find the wood descriptions below luscious and
mouth-watering. If you dont.... luckily, I think, after robust market testing, it will be found that your numbers are small; and we Wood Freaks are like The Borg:

"We Are The Borg.
Resistance Is Futile.
You Will Be Assimilated."


8 EXOTIC WOODS
Click to expand...

This is why I stay away from LA. It has been almost 30 years since I was last out there and things haven't gotten any better.

Craig
 
Originally posted by shgeo
A couple more sites that sell good burl material:

<http://www.spmesquite.com/fancy.html>
Mesquite burl is gorgeous wood and is one of the most stable of hardwoods.



Steve, thanks for the Mesquite link. I used to have one from an outfit in Texas, but they went south, I guess.

I've got a 250#+ root ball, plus a few hundred pounds of trunk, and crotch sections, drying now, in the shop, all from a hybrid Mesquite tree my neighbor had growing in his back yard.
Eventually, it will be some beautiful wood for handles.

I used to know a guy down in Benson that was in the Ironwood business. A rider in the NAFTA agreement stopped him from getting Ironwood, and I told him about Mesquite, and Catclaw Acacia burl(even better looking than Mesquite). I lost contact with him years ago.
I wonder if it's the same person? :confused:
Click to expand...
 
Mike,

The spmesquite people are at Cascabel, 30 or 40 miles NW of Benson in the San Pedro valley. They give good service and instead of using padding in burl packages, they use small wood pieces. They also had the cat's claw acacia the last time I heard.

They are very friendly and send out orders immediately.

I don't think the future is too bright for the availability of Ironwood.

Another great wood is Manzanita burl. It does have cracks, but is very stable and so fine grained that it will finish as good as Ironwood.

I really like using these very dense, stable woods. All you have to do is shape them and finish with oil and/or wax. Stabilization is not required.
 
Originally posted by shgeo
Mike,
I don't think the future is too bright for the availability of Ironwood.

Another great wood is Manzanita burl. It does have cracks, but is very stable and so fine grained that it will finish as good as Ironwood.....
Click to expand...


Steve,
I agree about the Ironwood. It is already classified as one of the worlds more rare woods, and the laws are getting very tough here about harvesting it.

I used to be able to get Manzanita stumps in firewood shipments. It really is great for handles.
It too is getting very hard to find here.All the forestry people allow cutting anymore, is Juniper, and most of the people here are so allergic to that(including myself), that most folks have stopped using their woodstoves.
Getting natural gas piped in here was a big help too though.;)

Edited to add; I just happened to remember, the Lumberlady sells Manzanita.
http://www.lumberlady.com/index.htm
 
Mike,

There is a guy in Redding California named Rocky Bemis that I have gotten nice slabs of Manzanita burl from-cheap. I have a couple of email addresses for him and can't remember which one is good. He sells on Ebay and has an ebay store, RockB's Western Wood. These slabs are usually 2"-3" thick and a foot or more across. They have the advantage of being cut, cleaned and have most of the rocks out.
 
Steve,
I searched Ebay for "RockB's Western Wood", and it didn't come up with anything.

If you have an email for him, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.
 
Another great wood is Manzanita burl. It does have cracks, but is very stable and so fine grained that it will finish as good as Ironwood

It's funny that you mention Manzanta. I am working on a Manzanta root handle now. What beautiful stuff...and hard. I've sawn slabs of steel that were softer!
 
What part "Wood Freak" does Mr Martin understand too well?

Gawd I love Desert Ironwood! A family friend and knifemaker, Jack, recently hung up the belts at 83, he gave my dad his homemade sander and about $2000 worth of belts (he gave him the stand that holds all the belts too :)).

This thread made me wonder...? What did he do with that big ol' chunk of DI root that he had been cutting chunks off for years? Or the homemade kiln?

If anyone is interested, send me an email and I will inquire. I really have no idea what he has left for wood, I do know that he gave most of his tools away to friends.

Jack used 440C and D2 for steels usually and the majority of his knives had DI scales, but he would use another materials if asked. He also was a accomplished sheath maker and made his own shrunk to fit leather sheaths.

Whether slip joint, lock back, bolster lock or straight, his knives came razor sharp, mirror finished and...usually with DI scales.


Steve-O
 
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