Should I Stabilize Cocobolo?

S

slice38

Joined
Oct 17, 2015
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I'm about to use my first piece of Cocobolo for scales on a vintage cleaver restoration project. I know about the allergic reaction that some have to the wood so I'm prepared to deal with that :)

The block seems very heavy and dense but has not been stabilized. In fact, it seems so solid and oily that I'm not even sure I could get any resin into it if I tried!

Can you more experienced folks tell me if you think it is worth the effort to try to stabilize it or is it good as is in your opinion. This is a very nice figured block 1.5" X 1.5" X 6". I am going to rip into a book-matched pair. Excited about working with it.

Thanks for any advice in advance,
Big Mike

cocobolo.jpeg
 
Slice38,

Fun stuff. The cocobolo I have worked smells exactly like roses when you cut it or plane it.

Nah, unless it has shakes in it and or is weak structurally for some reason I wouldn't worry about putting anything on/in the wood. Plane it smooth and then rub it hard and fast with the shavings and it will burnish to a nice surface. What ever you do don't rub oil into it; that really makes it look dull and boring.
 
It is rare to see treated cocobolo. It has a lot of natural oils and resists water well.

Cocobolo is dense (sinks in water) and very hard. I used to believe the janka hardness that you see everywhere (around 1300 or so) but after hearing that this was an oft-repeated but false number I checked for myself. I found it to resist denting better than the macassar ebony to which I compared it, which is saying something. Macassar has an accurate janka hardness of 3200.

You will find that cocobolo darkens with age. I have some older cocobolo that is as dark as gabon ebony, the only way to tell is it cocobolo is the red tint in full sunlight, as well as the more open grain.
 
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