What kind of wood do you like for your High End Knives?

[Burl Source]

I posted this same question on a thread for the knifemakers. One of them suggested I ask the same question to those of you who are not makers but collectors. It is too easy to think we know what the buyers want. Sometimes we make a lucky guess, but I thought I should ask.

Things seem to be changing a lot with the preferred knife handle woods through the last year. That is why I am asking this question. When I say high end knives I mean ones that would be a better than EDC type knife. Not a utility knife, more a collectible work of art.

One knifemaker recently tested for Journeyman BS and was told that curly maple was too plain. I had always thought it was a classic handle wood, but what do I know.

I am hoping some of you who are collectors would be willing to give your input.

I know figured Desert Ironwood will never fall out of favor. Same with Blackwood. But what else do you like and why? Do you like the really bizarre dramatic stuff? or prefer something more conservative.

Any and all comments are welcomed. Thanks for your input.

 

[RogerP]

I don't think the type of wood matters as much as it clearly being a premium example of its kind.

Walnut, ironwood, maple, koa, blackwood, ebony, snakewood, gidgee, buckeye, - you name it - all can work very well on a higher end knife so long as it is a top quality example of its kind, and of course, so long as the selection of the wood suits the knife itself.

Roger

 

[Kohai999]

This piece of stabilized Amboyna from Alpha Knife Supply floored me when it was made into a knife by Russ Andrews:



This is some kickbutt black walnut on a Burt Foster Camp set:



Larry Fuegen uses a wire wheel to bring out the character in Wenge wood:



Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Bruce Bump]

From what I see here, its not the quality of the wood so much as it is a nice knife makes the wood look good.

 

[Burl Source]

That's the kind of answers I was looking for. The photos help a lot. Is it the type of wood? Or how it looks that is more important?

 

[Burl Source]

From what I see here, its not the quality of the wood so much as it is a nice knife makes the wood look good.

I agree with you Bruce about the last two. My thinking had always been that a dramatic handle would catch people's eye from a distance and get them to come closer for a second look. I know that's not always the case.

 

[WilsonCombatRep]

We like ironwood!

 

[Kyle Royer]

That's the kind of answers I was looking for. The photos help a lot. Is it the type of wood? Or how it looks that is more important?

I believe it's the type of wood and how it looks.

I use Desert Ironwood and African Blackwood 80% of the time and Tiger Striped Maple 10%. The other 10% I use various other woods.

My favorite is Desert Ironwood.

Cool thread!! It's nice to see every one's opinion.

 

[Jos]

Olive wood
Snakewood
Desert Ironwood
Walnut

Kind regards,

Jos

Edit: actually I like most woods. Juniper, maple, African Blackwood, Rosewood, Lignum Vitae... too much to name them all.

 

[jdm61]

Desert ironwood seems to be the preference of a lot of collectors. I really like the very highly figured black walnut that has been around recently. The stuff that Don Hanson has been selling looks fantastic and it doesn't cost as much as your average stag carver for a nice block of it like ironwood burl does. Oh, and you can actually get the stuff. That is always important. Amboyna also seems to sell well. I have never stabilized any amboyna, but I was very lucky in that I bought a large piece a couple of years ago that was quite dense and had NO voids in it. The bad news is that it is all gone. I use blackwood a a substitute for ebony and synthetics.

 

[Lorien]

for a snazzy knife that I wouldn't use, only admire, I'd desire a wood with major chatoyance and/or figuring, and to hell with durability.
For an object whose object is to inspire and enlighten, the natural beauty of rare and unique wood samples trumps bombproofness in my book.
A burl will never be as durable as straight grains, but straight grains will never look as cool as burl.

 

[Rick]

I'd like to see more pink ivory used on knife handles. It's very tough, takes a beautiful finish and the color is uniquely attractive. The only downside that I'm aware of is that the delicate pink color can darken to a rusty looking orange/red if it receives a lot of UV exposure.

 

[jdm61]

for a snazzy knife that I wouldn't use, only admire, I'd desire a wood with major chatoyance and/or figuring, and to hell with durability.
For an object whose object is to inspire and enlighten, the natural beauty of rare and unique wood samples trumps bombproofness in my book.
A burl will never be as durable as straight grains, but straight grains will never look as cool as burl.

I have gained even more respect for not only the appearance, but also the relative durability of nice figured walnut since I actually got serious about putting a really good old school finish on the stuff. A goodly number of other folks apparently feel the same way because you even see some "I will only accept ironwood burl on high end knives" type collectors admiring and even buying walnut handled knives of late.

 

[Kohai999]

I'd like to see more pink ivory used on knife handles. It's very tough, takes a beautiful finish and the color is uniquely attractive. The only downside that I'm aware of is that the delicate pink color can darken to a rusty looking orange/red if it receives a lot of UV exposure.

Tends to me a bit more mobile as far as shrinking and contracting than many woods.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Murray White]

I have a few knives with nice woods

Brett Bennett -- black ash burl

Charlie Bennica -- Pernumbuko (with water buffalo)

Billy Mace Imel -- Thuya Burl

Chris Owen -- Curly Maple

Dan Pfananstiel -- Redwood

Robert Hankins -- stabilized Redwood

Anders Hogstrom -- Redwood Lace Burl

James Lumens -- spalted Maple

enough for now but I have lots more

 

[Grapevine]

I agree with Roger in that for me it's less about the species of wood than it is about how the particular block of wood looks. I've seen examples of curly maple that I much prefer over a ho hum sample of ironwood.

That said, there are certain woods that have caught my eye more often than other woods. Ironwood, Amboyna, Maple (burl, tiger stripe, quilted, spalted), and curly Birch head my list. Meanwhile, among other popular woods I've never been attracted to any sample of Blackwood, Ebony, or Snakewood.

 

[RogerP]

Here are a few pieces where I would suggest that the quality of the wood elevates the piece. Consider each piece with a less impressive, more "ho-hum" example of its kind of wood - less colour / figure, etc. and each knife wouldn't look as nice:

Snakewood

Ironwood:

Walnut:

Spalted Maple:

Buckeye:

The cost difference between an "okay" example of a given wood, and a PRIMO example is small relative to the overall cost of the knife. My recommendation is always use the best you can.

Roger

 

[Phillip Dobson]

The cost difference between an "okay" example of a given wood, and a PRIMO example is small relative to the overall cost of the knife. My recommendation is always use the best you can.

Roger

Good examples Roger. I also agree that you should never skimp on handle wood. That doesn't mean you always have to buy the most expensive blocks, though. The knife and handle have to work together. Just look at the photo of the wenge handle posted earlier. It's great, and probably uses less than $1 worth of handle material.

Do any of you know if any knifemakers ever build the knife around a particular piece of wood? Perhaps it's more common with something like stag that is very limiting inshape. When I'm designing a box, I often do it with a particular, special, piece in hand. This recent box was built around the center piece of pink ivory. The pink ivory block had cracks and flaws. The combination of the flaws and the character of the grain helped shape the piece and eventually the entire box.

Phillip

 

[RogerP]

^^^ That box is gorgeous!

Roger

 

[gormandu]

Personally, I like pretty much any highly figured? wood. Like spalted.... well. spalted anything that looks good! Spalted maple, Spalted Ash...
CRK has done really great stuff with Calif. Buckeye Burl.
I personally think olivewood is highly underused.