-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Some new wood
- Thread starter hellgap
- Start date
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Messages
- 38,508
Snakewood is lovely, but can be tricky. Treat it as you would the best ebony. DON'T get it hot while grinding/sanding! It will crack. As you work it, and after a knife is done, you will often find tiny cracks that open up. Seal them with thin CA and let it cure for a day or two, then sand smooth.They will be invisible. Cracks may appear years later,too. I cut the wood into scales or blocks, and allow to sit for at least a year before use, to allow any stresses to show up before I build the knife.
Snakewood is a small tree from Suriname. It has been badly over-harvested, and the older, and better patterned trees are hard to find. The lower part of the tree is cut into logs about 2-3 feet long and 4-6" round. It should be dried for years ( but often isn't), and then cut into quarter logs and/or half logs, before more drying. Prices for a small top quality quarter log can top $1000.
The piece you show is from the center to the outer layer, and will look good, but the center section of the quarter log has the best snake pattern. One note is that the color and pattern may look different from opposite sides of the slab once you get it shaped and polished. That is normal, and can't be helped. Some folks take a 10" long slab, and cut two scales, reversing one to make a pair. That takes care of the color match problem,but the snake pattern will be going opposite directions on the other side of the knife.Sometimes this is OK, and other times not.
If the log is riftsawn the part closest to the apex of the quarter log will be the best, but there is a lot of waste that way. The log is often quartersawn into boards, to get the highest yield, and you will get slabs like the one you have from the center cuts. As the quartersawn boards approach the center of the quarter log, there is more snake. The boards from the ends have little or no snake.
I bought a 26" quarter log at the Blade show several years back for $800. I carved the "Dragon Tanto" in the Knives 2006 ( pg 165) from the premium part of that. The snake pattern shows in all directions.
Stacy
Snakewood is a small tree from Suriname. It has been badly over-harvested, and the older, and better patterned trees are hard to find. The lower part of the tree is cut into logs about 2-3 feet long and 4-6" round. It should be dried for years ( but often isn't), and then cut into quarter logs and/or half logs, before more drying. Prices for a small top quality quarter log can top $1000.
The piece you show is from the center to the outer layer, and will look good, but the center section of the quarter log has the best snake pattern. One note is that the color and pattern may look different from opposite sides of the slab once you get it shaped and polished. That is normal, and can't be helped. Some folks take a 10" long slab, and cut two scales, reversing one to make a pair. That takes care of the color match problem,but the snake pattern will be going opposite directions on the other side of the knife.Sometimes this is OK, and other times not.
If the log is riftsawn the part closest to the apex of the quarter log will be the best, but there is a lot of waste that way. The log is often quartersawn into boards, to get the highest yield, and you will get slabs like the one you have from the center cuts. As the quartersawn boards approach the center of the quarter log, there is more snake. The boards from the ends have little or no snake.
I bought a 26" quarter log at the Blade show several years back for $800. I carved the "Dragon Tanto" in the Knives 2006 ( pg 165) from the premium part of that. The snake pattern shows in all directions.
Stacy
Stacey thanks for taking the time to teach me a lesson in this fabulous wood. I noticed at least one crack in every piece i got. I managed to get 5 pieces enough for 6 stet of scales 2 pieces are alot nicer than this one but im in the middle of gluing them to stabilize the cracks. This wood will be for my best knives I make as time goes on. thanks for the tips kellyw
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2003
- Messages
- 773
Due to its tendancy to crack, it should be rough shaped using a new, course belt on med-high speed. This will minimize your cracking problems while shaping.
Of course, when drilling holes, always use a support board to keep the drill bit from cracking the snakewood as it breaks through.
Snakewood is my favorite.
Mike L.
Of course, when drilling holes, always use a support board to keep the drill bit from cracking the snakewood as it breaks through.
Snakewood is my favorite.
Mike L.