I have used and still use at times the Bois D'Arc wood. After cutting, if you can get it sawed at a mill, do it. Get the bark off as soon as posible because there is a black and yellow bug that will bore through the bark and a white worm will eat the wood and leave 1/4" holes in it. I keep mine in a "hot box" (box with a light bulb on) and after a few months, it should be dry enough to use. Cut the wood so that the grain is flat with the scales so that when you finish it, the grain will look like the Pakkawood grain, in layers. This will keep the wood from splitting when you drill and peen the pins. I like to shape the handles and then replace the pins with ones that are 1/8" longer so they will stick out about a 1/16" to be peened. If you round off the pins a little before you put them in, they peen better. After peening, sand them off down to the wood and treat the handles with linseed oil or what ever your choice is.
The wood will turn to a nice brown after a period of time. Fresh, it is a yellowish color. I also like the small limbs (small grain size) for small knives and the larger grain for the bigger knives.
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Ray Kirk
http://www.tah-usa.net/raker
