Procuring "cheap" wood for learning to make scales/handles

JG Custom Metal Works

JG Custom Metal Works

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Nov 27, 2013
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I know there are some very resourceful folks here so I figured I'd pick your brains. I've learned to work micarta and now am looking to learn my way around other handle materials. I've read that some hard woods don't need to be stabilized and I'm wondering if anyone had ideas about where to source/salvage material that would work for handle scales? I've read and watched videos in regards to stabilizing wood with cactus juice and will probably give that a try soon as well.

Any of you folks have tips for procuring decent wood for handle scales? If so please share. It doesn't have to be beautiful curly birch or African black wood, just something that will function good and could possibly be finished decent. Also if anyone had recommendations as to where(site sponsor) to get decent affordable wood to start on I'd appreciate it.
 
Where are you located? If you are near a Woodcraft store you can find some cheap stuff there. I bought some mesquite, eucalyptus, cocobolo and bocote there for the first few knives I made just to get the practice like you're doing. For $10 you can probably get enough that would make several knives. I've read that some people can have severe allergies for stuff like Cocobolo so be careful with that.
 
I've used red oak from my local home store. It's kind of open grained but it looks nice and holds up well enough for practice pieces/knife shaped objects.
 
I can sell you some African Blackwood at my cost ($4 per pound). A pound is about an 8" x 1.5" x 1.5" block that would make several scales. I can usually get about 4 pounds into a small priority mail flat rate box... so call it about $20 for 4 pounds. Is that cheap enough? The upside is you get really nice wood to work with.
 
tryppyr said:
I can sell you some African Blackwood at my cost ($4 per pound). A pound is about an 8" x 1.5" x 1.5" block that would make several scales. I can usually get about 4 pounds into a small priority mail flat rate box... so call it about $20 for 4 pounds. Is that cheap enough? The upside is you get really nice wood to work with.
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@phorizt- I'm in Northeast Kansas. Good idea about the woodcraft stores, I'll be looking around.

@lastbrunneng- Red oak sounds nice, I'll keep my eye out for some of that. How does that hold up? Have you used it for permanent handles or just practice?

I love this place. Thanks for the help everyone.
 
creature7 said:
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@phorizt- I'm in Northeast Kansas. Good idea about the woodcraft stores, I'll be looking around.
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Where about if you don't mind my asking? Also, there is a "shop tour" put on by Kansas Custom Knifemakers Association tomorrow just south of Pittsburg.

Chris
 
No matter where you live there's a lumber yard somewhere reasonably near to you that has hardwood for sale. When I had my shop in Morgan City, la it was in New Orleans just off Lake Ponchatrain Now it's Alamo Lumber in San Antonio. When you find one take a shop rag or two and a bottle of rubbing alcohol with you. You just pour some alcohol on the wood you're looking at and wipe off the dust and crud. You will be able to see all the grain in the wood very clearly until the alcohol dries.
I bought a piece of flame crotch black walnut for $41.00 that gave me half a dozen knife handles and a shotgun stock and forend. I sold the Remington 870 wingmaster shotgun for $1100.00 with the custom stock and forend. Just going thru a lumberyard that has pallet loads of exotic is half a days entertainment for me.
 
I picked up some very nice cocobolo at a local wood supplier for a very low cost. They also had bocote Zircote wenge, blood wood, Purple Heart, bubinga, walnut, tulip wood, zebra wood etc. all was sold by the board foot with lower costs for the left over cuts in the clearance bin. Paid 80 bucks for enough cocobolo for 14 handles, enough bubinga for 20-22 and enough purple heart for about 25.
 
I went to a shop that makes flooring and table tops and they let me go through a barrel that they throw all the cut off pieces in. I got some jatoba, oak, pecan and mesquite for $20. It was enough to make about 50 sets of scales.
 
creature7 said:
@lastbrunneng- Red oak sounds nice, I'll keep my eye out for some of that. How does that hold up? Have you used it for permanent handles or just practice?
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Those were just practice pieces, the wood was not stabilized. I gave them to brothers and I suspect they'll never see use.
 
Ebay, type in Osage lumber. Pretty cheap, works up great, really tough wood, I have used to make bows. I am sure you could use it to learn on, that is what I have been using to learn with.
 
I get most of my handle wood from my neighbor's firewood pile.

Shhhhhhhhhh.....


All of this is firewood:

Fiddleback and Bird'seye Red Maple


Spalted Red Maple crotchwood


Figured Red Maple compression wood.


Figured Red Oak


Quilted Sugar Maple
 
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