What kind of wood is this?

Linus Knives

Linus Knives

Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jul 13, 2023
Messages
721
Hey, I've got a couple blades that I just finished and am not 100% sure on the material.
I'm sure this is easy for most of you on here. It has a pretty neat grain but mostly straight.
Thanks, Linus IMG_5026.jpegIMG_5027.jpeg
 
Bocote smells a combination of sour and spicy.
Some say it smells like dill pickles??? I don't get that, but maybe that is because I love pickles.
 
Yeah I get the dill pickle deal. Smells like that to me. Definitely Bocote. One of the great things about it is its huge variety. Often times from the same piece of wood as these guys:

Z3XUXa9.jpg


IuV1vsL.jpg



7jJtBTK.jpg


AQUklXj.jpg


Ya just never know. Here's a lil thread I did about bocote:

Horsewright

Thread 'Almost Another What Wood Is This Thread'

We have a large hacienda style home and over the years have bought quite a bit of Mexican furniture to furnish it. Much of it is mesquite, solid mesquite like our kitchen table here:

wMjvDNr.jpg


Thing probably weighs 500-600 lbs. Took five big guys to deliver it. Or the bar here:

TRFUfiB.jpg


There is a furniture store in Bakersfield that specializes in this stuff. They go down to a village outside of Guadalajara, that has been making furniture since Cortez, a couple times a year. They bring back all this solid wood (no press board...
  • Like
  • Love

The knives in that thread are all from the same pice of bocote as the two above. Besides its variety it's just a good handle material. Robust, durable and good looking even when it darkens up from UV exposure.
 
Horsewright said:
That's the wonder of natural materials, so much variety there is something for everyone! Oaks biggest problem is its grain pattern wants a bigger canvas than most knife handles.
Click to expand...

I've seen some oak that looks good when it' ms cross cut. Indeed some pieces are less ugly than others ;)
 
Horsewright said:
its grain pattern wants a bigger canvas than most knife handles.
Click to expand...
This is the main limiting factor for handle material. A lot of curl, burl, quilt, birdseye and other grain are great in wider areas, but over the area of a knife are simply not figured enough to show anything interesting
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
I've never enjoyed the aesthetic of bocote
Click to expand...

You can't be right about everything! ;)

But seriously, yes bocote. And I definitely don't think it stinks during grinding. Man, it's such a pleasant smell! I love working bocote! In fact, bocote is my favorite of all the natural woods, for its outstanding combination of beauty, strength, and stability.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Bocote. Did it smell bad when cutting and sanding?
Click to expand...

I've always thought of desert ironwood as a more upscale bocote analog. In fact I sometimes call bocote a "poor man's desert ironwood". Between the two, ironwood has higher strength and stability, but I think bocote will hold up nearly as well in most environments. Ironwood is significantly denser, and thus heavier, which is a reason I would choose bocote on a knife for myself over it, as the lightest possible package is one of my priorities in a knife (though I will sacrifice it for other specific attributes on a case by case basis). But when it comes to grinding..... it took my many times before I enjoyed the smell of ironwood on the grinder. At first it was horrid. For some reason, though, one day last year (I can't remember which knife I was working on, though it might have been the screamer I made for Quiet Quiet ) I suddenly had a revelation that I was actually enjoying the smell of desert ironwood, to my very great surprise.... I still like the smell of bocote better. 🤣
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
I've seen some oak that looks good when it' ms cross cut. Indeed some pieces are less ugly than others
Click to expand...

A cowboy buddy gave me a board of oak from an old family barn that was built in the 1800s and has since fallen down. I call it Historic Oak. The barn was in MO. I've been pretty successful at containing the grain of this oak in a knife size handle. Even a pretty thin one like this Sonoran Belt Knife:

Ua64N7X.jpg


rBIcdKI.jpg


Or this Coyote:

ZxKkyC1.jpg


fmXtpzT.jpg


David Mary David Mary I too am very fond of bocote and have used it on hundreds of knives. Just finished the sheath on this one which is my last step:

5LtePqf.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top