What is your favorite wood?

Snakewood is another favorite but it is extremely sensitive to heat (while being worked). It has to be kiln dried to a very low moisture content. I gave up trying to turn it after a few attempts.

Another wood I like is Masur Birch. Here's a pen turned in it.

DSC_1183-XL.jpg
 
TLARbb said:
Jeff, you got a picture of some of that koa? I'm not familiar with that. I don't know what 'chatoyance' is, but it must be something nice.

Ed J
Click to expand...

Ed, here are some koa pics, not mine, but taken from the Custom forum here on BFC.
From Wiktionary: chatoyancy is the quality of shimmering, iridescent reflectancy, like a cat's eye gemstone.
When you turn the piece the grain shimmers and reflects differing layers of colors and patterns.

David Loukides
f2d725d5-4843-4164-bd9d-63b577700586_zpscf7bcb07.png~original


Nick Wheeler
koa2_zpsa37562d1.jpg~original


RogerP (not a maker as the first two are)
koa3_zps2b6a27b9.jpg~original
 
Can I just like them all? If forced I'd say African blackwood, cocobolo, ebony, curly maple,and desert ironwood are my top 5.
 
Jeff, thanks for the explanation and the photos. It is indeed a beautiful wood.

Tom, that's a stunning display!

Ed J
 
Desert Ironwood Burl. It is a beautiful wood. Each piece is unique with different grains and hues. It is also a very strong and dense wood with it's own natural oils. It can always be buffed back to it's original luster if it darkens with use and or age.

BRDIBcollection2006.jpg


Tom
 
These two aren't bad: Coco&Ebony.
But, I think most woods can look really well on knives e.g. BEM, Zebra, Curly Birch,Lacewood,Burls and my new enthusiasm, Osage Orange
 
I have some dog wood that I dried and made into slabs that I would like to use. Has anyone else made a knife handle from dog wood?
 
Koa
Amboyna
Curly/Birdseye dyed maple
African Blackwood
Redwood (although I own no knives handled in it)

I need chatoyance and figure in a good piece of wood. Just figure isn't enough any more, although I still like a good cocobolo or other burl. I love wood in general, it's in my blood and is one of my middle names!


My favourite non figured wood is by far Padauk. That deep red luster hits me in my heart!!
 
I only have ebony, so that's my favorite in my experience. To look at? Simply put, wood that is highly figured. I can't distinguish most kinds of wood from one another just looking at them in these applications. Even the same species or tree for that matter, can show different grain lines, coloration, etc. That being said, there are some incredible examples in this thread
 
At the moment it's this but I'm not sure what type .Only just got this one.
20140402_150322_zpsa9e65997.jpg
 
My favorite knife is handled in Gabon Ebony
IMG_7100.JPG


I agree there are a great many other beautiful woods, and of the ones in this thread, I think the Koa is a standout.
 
Double Ott said:
Desert Ironwood Burl. It is a beautiful wood. Each piece is unique with different grains and hues. It is also a very strong and dense wood with it's own natural oils. It can always be buffed back to it's original luster if it darkens with use and or age.

BRDIBcollection2006.jpg


Tom
Click to expand...

Holy Smokes Tom! That is an awesome bunch of wood beauties !;)

Liked that oak swayback Jack a lot too!
 
Ebony, black wood and cocobolo get lots of play as they should. I own my fair share of each.
One that I really like is the somewhat underrated exotic Mexican Bocote GEC uses.

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First place for me are dalbergia species - African blackwood, cocobolo, kingwood, honduran rosewood to name a few. Hard to decide between them, my absolute favorite varies from day to day.

Also fond of diospyros - Gabon ebony, macassar ebony, kamagong

Desert ironwood isn't too shabby, either.
 
Desert Ironwood Burl is numero uno for me. It's followed closely by Tiger Maple, Cocobolo and Rosewood. I'm also fond of California Buckeye burl, English Walnut, Ebony and Spalted Maple.

Here's an example of Tiger (Curly) Maple. It exhibits that chatoyancy mentioned earlier. A really pretty wood.
IMG_20130410_111655_982.jpg
 

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