Stabilized vs. Oiled Wood

[Balin]

I've noticed lots of folks are using stabilized wood for their scales / handles. Is this truly necessary? If you do not have any inlay, ivory or silver Etc. do you really need to use stabilized material?

Thanks,
Balin

 

[J.S. Carter]

Stabilization helps out when you expose a working knife to the elements. Natural handle materials will swell with humidty and temperature as well as contract this can cuase it to crack out at the worst time, (when your using it. )

 

[AcridSaint]

In addition to the above, your material can fade or age poorly. You hands will draw oils out and you will wear on the finish so oil has to be reapplied. If you use spacer material or guards, many woods will shift enough to feel a "bump" or even see a gap. Some woods (snakewood comes to mind) can even be a bit unpredictable when stabilized.

One last point that I saw brought up the other day is that stuff has a harder time growing on stabilized woods, so if you'll be exposing the knife to a lot of moisture you might benefit from stable wood.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

There are inumerable woods that are unusable for handle material in their natural state. Only by stabilizing can virtually any of the "burls" be used for knife handles.

 

[Balin]

Thanks! I am used to pieces without stabilized handle material... Some I have had for 20 years. However, none have burl or inlay in the handles.

 

[t1mpani]

Essentially it makes the wood into a synthetic material--stronger and harder than it was naturally, but it does lose the wood-like feel. Gives many of the advantages of micarta/G-10 (not saying they're interchangeable) in terms of weather and wear while being far more interesting to look at. I have some knives handled both ways, and like them all. I do make a point of keeping up with the oiling on my non-stabilized woods, though, about once a year unless the knife gets really wet or I have to clean it.