Snakewood question

[Barker]

I love the look of snakewood and I have a nice piece I would like to use. As you all know it is very dense and oily. From what I've read, oily woods do not stabilize very well. So what process if any, do most knifemakers use for snakewood if using it or is it a poor choice for handle material?

 

[Raymond Richard]

I've seen snakewood that has been stabalized by the big boys. Thats one wood that I just don't think can be stabalized since its so dense. Prayer might help but I've never had any luck with it. It will crack if it gets to hot like if its left in a car on a hot day or even in hot sunlight. Last time I used it I had it epoxied to a knife and was hand sanding it and it cracked. Pretty wood but a major pain in the ass.

 

[Stag & Steel]

I don't know how you use it without it cracking. I have used it once and it cracked bad and seen several knives with superglue filled cracks and a disclaimer. To be fair, I have seen a few knives with it that were not cracked, wish I knew how they succeeded, I have some more that I would like to use.

 

[Tom Militano]

I've only used it twice and have never had any problems with it. Both the knives are over seven years old and it's never cracked. I sanded it to 1200 grit and waxed it. I didn't buff it.

 

[Mike Hull]

The biggest problem with it is, it moves in humidity or dryness. I've used a bit of stabilized Snakewood over the years, done by professionals, and it's still swelled and shrank on me as the humidity changed, even just sitting on the bench. This was very old stuff too, so it was by no means green when it was stabilized.

I never saw the attraction for it myself and would only use it if a customer asked for it.

I never had it crack as I always used new belts to work it, at slow speeds, but the shrinking and swelling caused me such problems that I quit using it.

There are, IMO, just too many other woods out there that look better, are far more stable, some that grow in my own backyard , to waste my time on Snakewood.
Macassar ebony and ebony in general is another wood I won't use. It will crack if you lay the knife on the bench and the sun shines on it. Too much. :thumbdn:

 

[raylaconico]

I've never used snakewood because it's expensive and I don't really like the way it looks. I have used ebony and never had any problems cracking or moving.