stabilizing bocote?

[Fletch Helical]

Just wondering I have a piece of bocote I'd like to use for a somewhat special project. Is that a wood that most of you stabilize or do you just do something like an oil finish on it?

 

[C_Claycomb]

I have seen stabilized bocote on sale at Blade, but its one of those woods which works really well without anything facny being done to it. It hardly even needs oil, but a little won't hurt. The only real reason I can think of for doing a full on oil finish (multi-coat wet sanded) is to fill the slightly porous grain. Its not that open, about on par with some walut I reckon, but if you want a totally smooth finish some kind of filling will be needed.

I have a little table knife that gets used every day (okay, its my only table knife ) and it has a bocote handle. It gets detergent washed up by hand two or three times a day at least and the wood is still good and smooth after about six years! I think I gave it a little sand and oil about 4 years ago

 

[coolhandluke4]

I've never used it natural, but the guy who I get my stabilized wood from gave me a few sets of stabilized bocote, and it turned out really great. Unfortunately I didn't take pics

 

[Fletch Helical]

So it's one of those woods I guess that doesn't necessarily need to be stabilized then?

 

[Jack O'Neill]

So it's one of those woods I guess that doesn't necessarily need to be stabilized then?

correct .