Please explain how the 110 obeche handles are manufactured..

A

aza77

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Apr 19, 2007
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I did a bunch of searches on the 110 obeche scales and failed to get the exact answer I'm looking for. Just wondering if someone can explain how they are made, in detail?

From what I am guessing, it sounds like Obeche is just a thin layer of wood wrapped around the visible surface of the handles? Then there is some other wood underneath it? Is that correct? And I think I have read that they are impregnated with some type of resin? Is that correct as well? Are they infused with resin or are they simple laminated?

Any info would be greatly appreciated :)
 
To the best of my knowledge thin layers of Obeche are stained and pressure impregnated with an epoxy resin. The thin layers are then glued together to form a type of plywood which is very hard. The plywood is all Obeche because the inlays are machined/sanded to get the correct thickness in the knife frame during the manufacture of the knife. Colored inlays for the 110 and 112 are Birch using the same process. Brown inlays for the 500 series and many other Buck knives are also Birch using the same process. Hope this helps.
 
Very cool explanation Richard.
Thanks especially for expanding into the other inlays too.
 
Thank you Richard...

That was EXACTLY what I was looking for...amazing. I'm actually very happy now that I know the scales are solid, albeit layered obeche.

Now, can you answer why some of the grain is black as opposed to brown and reddish brown...Does obeche have a certain property that makes it stain this particular way? Or can any wood do this with the right type of stain?
 
Richard,

Why is it called Obeche? :confused: The process?:confused:
You stated " The plywood is all Obeche because the inlays are machined/sanded to get the correct thickness in the knife frame during the manufacture of the knife. " :cool: I dont follow then why its called obeche.:confused:
Sure it isnt Obitchee!? :D When the resin sticks to your fingers!:eek:
 
So Richard...correct me if I'm wrong, but looking at my scales...(not from the top, but from the side) I can see the different layers of obeche...right?

If so, I count four layers. Are these the individual obeche layers you speak of? If so, that's pretty cool...

This leads me to another question...if someone were to sand off the first layer, would the underlying layer have a different grain pattern?

Thanks for the info :)
 
Let's see if I can address all the questions here. Laminated Birch started to show up in the 1981/82 time frame on both fixed blades (ex 124s, 401s, etc.) and folders (ex. 500 series). As far as the uniformity of the color of the stain on Obeche and Birch for that matter, my guess is the wood has both porous and solid grain. The porous grain will absorb a lot more stain than the solid grain and thus get darker. In fact as you remove more material from even one layer of the laminate the colors will move around depending on the lay of the grain of the wood in that layer. Thus, matching wood inlays is more the luck of the draw than a deliberate step Buck can take in the manufacturing process. Just for reference, both Obeche and Birch start out blond in color prior to staining.

As far as the name Obeche, I trust we know that is the tree in Africa the wood comes from just as Birch comes from a Birch tree. I have seen Obeche spelled Obeechee but you will not find a dictionary definition for that spelling, so Obeche is the proper spelling.

As far as the layers of laminate, each layer of an Obeche handled knife will be a different piece of Obeche. I doubt if any effort is made to align the layers in the manufacture of the inlays.

If you really want to get into the wood thing, there is another consideration here. If you look at the early Bucklocks the laminate was cut parallel to the grain of the wood and the laminations. In later versions of these knives the wood was cut perpendicular to the laminations which we have called bias cut. This was done to minimize warping of the inlays because they are so thin in the Bucklocks. So if you are really a fanatic about collecting Bucklocks you need one parallel cut and one bias cut example to complete your collection.

Did I miss anything?
 
FYI. The colored Birch inlays for the 110 and 112s started showing up in special project knives at the same time Birch was beginning to be used on the other knives for production.
 
Richard,

your explanation was the best I've read so far. :)

Thanks a lot.

By the way, what is your personal preference...the obeche or the way it was done before? Of course I'm talking about the basic 110, not the customs.
 
Hi aza77;
Thanks much! As a collector I really don't have a preference as to Obeche or Macassar Ebony as long as the fit, finish and pattern of the grain is attractive for display. I think if I wanted a user I would go for the Obeche for the perceived durability but I really don't have any data to indicate that Obeche holds up better than Ebony.
 
Hmm...makes sense...but that makes me ask another question. One that I have been pondering on as well.

What in your opinion makes an attractive grain pattern? Is it even grain, unique patterns, matched sides, stripes?
 
I guess to each his own. It is nice if the inlays complement the other features of the knife. For example, I have a 110 with a raindrop Damascus blade and Paua inlays. The pattern of each seems to match the other. I also have a 110 with Wenge inlays and a Parker type Damascus blade (circa 1990) where the color and grain of the wood matches the lay of the Damascus. Beyond that I think it is personal preference. I do have some Ebony variations which I think are unusual for collecting purposes. For example, I have a plain and FG 110 with Ebony inlays that are so light they almost look like Birch but they are actually Ebony which can be almost black at the other extreme. As far as other inlay materials and other inlay patterns my only preference is that the grain or pattern flow with the length of the knife. Channel inlay treatments, for example, that are perpendicular to the knife frame don't turn me on unless the overall design is particularly attractive. Burl type patterns can be interesting if the inlays are well matched and fairly uniform in pattern. However, this is all still personal preference.
 
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