What woods do you not like stabilized????

K

KFU

Part Time Knifemaker, Moderator
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I was wondering if I was alone in my thinking. There are species of wood that I prefer not stabilized. Koa and Walnut are probably the two biggest ones but anything dark seems to get cloudierwhen stabilized. IMO, nothing looks better than a nice Koa or Walnut with an oil finish. Are there any woods that you prefer working unstabilized?
 
Desert Ironwood ranks #1 on my list. Then I'd say Bocote, Cocobolo, Osage Orange. These are the ones I've used without stabilizing. Most will shine right up without oil or other finishes. My last Desert Ironwood handle I used TruOil with outstanding results.
 
Any of the oily tropical hardwoods. Walnut is better IMHO oiled.
 
KFU said:
There are species of wood that I prefer not stabilized. Koa and Walnut are probably the two biggest ones but anything dark seems to get cloudier when stabilized.
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Who stabilized the wood? I've never seen walnut or koa get cloudier when professionally stabilized.

Chuck
 
I've used stabilized walnut a time or two and was pleased with it, but I don't really think it's necessary. But if it comes from a reputable stabilizer and I like the figure, I certainly wouldn't pass it up.

My thoughts echo the other respondents; I like naturally oily/dense woods just with an oil finish and a little wax. Classics like figured maple can work great either way; I generally only have them stabilized if I also want them dyed.
 
I'm pretty new to knives, but I had some very bad experiences with stabilization in musical instruments. That was quite a few years ago when stabilization seemed to be more of a specialty than the norm.

I got a piece or two of figured maple that had just had the life taken out of it, same with a piece of curly koa. It seemed like anything with a really fine, silky smooth grain was susceptible.

I picked up a piece of curly stabilized redwood at Tru-Grit, and it was absolutely beautiful, the stabilization didn't kill the figure at all. I was all excited about it, but they didn't seem to be particularly impressed. I think that the newer stabilization products and more refined methods are getting much better results. I remember that it used to be essentially a crapshoot if you were going to get a cloudy piece of wood.



Wenge is one I would never want stabilized, as it is one of the few woods I've encountered that can pretty much be finished raw with a clean buff, and come out great.
 
I'm with Chuck about the Walnut and Koa.
Back in the day before I started using K&G for stabilizing I did the stabilizing myself and the Walnut did not show much improvement and turned darker.
That was before Chuck convinced me that getting my wood stabilized by professional stabilizers like K&G or WSSI was a better idea.
Thank You Chuck. Your advice and encouragement really changed things for me.
Now that I am using K&G for stabilizing;
Walnut finishes better and easier with the pores easier to fill for a smooth finish.
Koa figure becomes flashier and bolder when stabilized. Some of the Red Koa will take on a burnt orange look.

I had some Brazilian Rosewood stabilized once that kept weeping and turned dark.
 
David Stifle said:
Can you guys tell me exactly what you do when you stabilize wood?
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1) Dry wood to 12% maximum moisture. Use moisture meter to determine moisture content.

2) Package dry wood in a box.

3) Mail box to K&G or WSSI.

4) Wait patiently

5) Open box and wonder why the wood looks so bad.

6) Sand wood and become happy. We wait a few weeks for the stabilant to off gas before sanding.

7) Get lots of money from collector for knife with beautiful wood handle.

8) Give money to wife.

Chuck
 
Burl Source said:
Now that I am using K&G for stabilizing;
Walnut finishes better and easier with the pores easier to fill for a smooth finish.
Koa figure becomes flashier and bolder when stabilized. Some of the Red Koa will take on a burnt orange look.
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I agree Mark. Between us we've processed a few thousand blocks and scales to develop our opinion.

I'd still like to know what stabilant made walnut and koa cloudy. I have my suspicions (based on bad experience) but I'm waiting to hear.

BTW, we've stabilized bocote, osage orange and wenge. All of them stabilized well.

If you are selling the knife you have an obligation to your customer to give them the best quality and most trouble free knife possible. You also have an obligation to yourself to minimize warranty work. Stabilized wood helps satisfy both obligations.

Chuck
 
vintagefan said:
I'm pretty new to knives, but I had some very bad experiences with stabilization in musical instruments.
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Apples and pomegranates. A musical instrument needs to flex and breathe and resonate freely throughout a wide range; a knife handle doesn't.
 
What Chuck just said.
You want to have someone that does professional stabilization work on woods do their thing.
A aquarium pump, a can of miniwax hardener along with a old pressure cooker is not a professional stabilization job and that's about the sum of many that do it.


There a one or two outfits that I would add to that list but most of my Cal Buckeye, Maple, Bocote and Koa goes to WSSI.

Koa will work without stabilzation. It just looks and lasts so much better when it has been professionally done.
I make mostly culinary knives. so the woods will get their share of exposure to water & blood.

Laurence
 
james terrio said:
Apples and pomegranates. A musical instrument needs to flex and breathe and resonate freely throughout a wide range; a knife handle doesn't.
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I think you may have mistaken my meaning in that portion of my post. I was intending to convey that though I am very new to knifemaking and this community, I have reasonable experience with various stabilized woods, due to another area of interest.

By bad experiences, I meant bad experiences as in damage to the wood's appearance via poorly done stabilization. At that time, it seemed that many new suppliers were hitting the market with stabilized woods, and not all of them seemed to have it totally under control. I think concern for the cosmetic aspect of stabilization is fairly universal, regardless of the wood's final destination.


One of stabilized wood's primary uses in instrument building is in the fretboard, where it is intended to meet a need very similar to that of a stabilized wood knife handle... increased durability, stability, and resistance to sweat, oil, and grime. The concerns you voiced certainly apply as well, and have been the subject of many a heated debate on this forum's musical instrument brethren. :)
 
I have use wenge both natural and stabilized and I like it stabilized better.
 
I prefer to use most woods unstabilized. There are exceptions. I find stabilized wood to be heavy and slippery and plastic feeling. It smells funny too. Softish woods and burls are the only ones I like to stabilize. I wouldn't carry one of those either. Get it bloody and stabilized wood is like holding an ice cube.
 
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