Sapele Handles?

[redsquid2]

I don't think I have seen sapele on a knife handle. I look at sapele lumber and I picture it on a handle, and it just does not look that great as I see it in my mind. If you have an opinion, that would be great. If you have pictures, even better.

Thanks

 

[NJBillK]

I used it on a Becker BK16 that I customized for a member here. They were easy to work with, little to no tear out or checking. Finished nicely at 2k, but really shone at 5k then polished with pink scratchless, then buffed with bare leather.

The wood is Very chatoyant. The darker bands in some pics would be solid flash in another. In bright sunlight, there wasn't one spot on the slabs that sat still. Very active, to the point that even on overcast days, there would be chatoyance showing.
Just a fantastic wood.

Stabilized Pomele Sapele.

This last pic looks like it has a bunch of voids, but they were all filled by the stabilization. Surprisingly, I did not have to do any coats with CA, since the stabilization was very thorough. I bought it through Ben Greenberg of Greenberg woods, found on this forum.

redsquid2

 

[redsquid2]

I used it on a Becker BK16 that I customized for a member here. They were easy to work with, little to no tear out or checking. Finished nicely at 2k, but really shone at 5k then polished with pink scratchless, then buffed with bare leather.

The wood is Very chatoyant. The darker bands in some pics would be solid flash in another. In bright sunlight, there wasn't one spot on the slabs that sat still. Very active, to the point that even on overcast days, there would be chatoyance showing.
Just a fantastic wood.

Stabilized Pomele Sapele.
View attachment 846418 View attachment 846419 View attachment 846420 View attachment 846421
This last pic looks like it has a bunch of voids, but they were all filled by the stabilization. Surprisingly, I did not have to do any coats with CA, since the stabilization was very thorough. I bought it through Ben Greenberg of Greenberg woods, found on this forum.

redsquid2

Wow! I like it a lot! It is not dyed, right?

 

[NJBillK]

Wow! I like it a lot! It is not dyed, right?

Nope, natural coloration.
Nice reds with hints of orange and very slight hints of yellow on the edge of the white flashes from the chatoyance.

It was one of my higher preferred woods to work with. It moves faster than most rosewoods, and ironwood due to it being softer, but I didn't notice any big dings or significant flat spots when I dropped it on my concrete slab shop floor.