Stabilized wood and color oxidation?

C_Claycomb

C_Claycomb

Joined
Dec 11, 2000
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1,077
In the case of many tropical woods, their color darkens with age and exposure to the air and/or sunlight. For instance, cocobolo starts as a rather bright orange and soon mellows to a deeper red/orange.

Does stabilizing stop this from happening? I imagine that it does, but am not 100% sure since I don't know how much part UV light playes in the process:confused:

Chris
 
I believe, sence there is little moisture and perspiration absorbed by stabilized wood the color and tone should be more stable than without the treatment.
I use it exclusivly and love the way it finishes.

Fred
 
For the most part any color change occurs during stabilization.If the color change is due to UV (like paduke) there will still be some change, but it will be much less than unstabilized wood.
Stacy
 
Stabilizing is a great mechandising point. Oh, yes I like it stabilized just like I like firearm parts blued but don't believe at all it is as good as thought. Try it in dish water for awhile. Still swells; still fades - just like the natural does. It will help a lot if paid attention to - just like you would your rifle.

rlinger
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I don't know about the stabilizing but woods treated with various finishes, polyurethane, etc still change color from UV.
 
Yeah Mete, I think its a poly-something they use in stabilizing. I wouldn't expect it to give extended protection against UV. Shade might.

rlinger
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Thanks guys. I have a bit of stabilised cocobolo and I guess I best find some sun and experiment. It doesn't seem to be darkening as fast as the bare wood does, hence my question. :D

I reckon that some combinations of wood and resin are more stable than others...some that I have has moved with atmospheric moisture, and other bits are really solid.
 
Stabilized cocobolo? I didn't know they made such a thing. Where did you purchase it?
 
It is fitted to a sample knife I was sent from Japan. I don't know where they got it from. They offered two woods, cocobolo and ebony, both stabilized. In the new state the ebony looks better, but if the cocobolo were to darken a bit it would be an improvement.

Don't ask my why somone would try to stabilize cocobolo, I have always used it in the natural state. When I was discussing handle materials I suggested cocobolo, or a stabilized wood, since the thickest Micarta they had was only 7mm. I might have thought something got lost in translation, as it were, but the ebony thing was offerend because they already had that timber in that condition.
 
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