Why doesnt GEC and other makers use more types of fancy wood

5K Qs said:
Isn't curly birch used on a lot of Scandinavian knives?
While not Scandinavian, here's a Spanish knife my daughter gave me that I think has curly birch handles:
TD2dzb7.jpg


- GT
Click to expand...
Yes, the “Nordic” manufacturers, such as helle knives and most puukkos, tend to use curly birch in more of their models. Actually, Europe tends to use more wooden handle materials than the US with the exception of Italy which mainly relies on horn materials.
If wooden materials are what users are interested in, then Western Europe produces some excellent, traditional pocket knives. If fixed blades are your thing you can easily find a suitable blade from Scandiavia.
 
Last edited:
SIG96 said:
Yes, the “Nordic” manufacturers, such as helle knives and most puukkos, tend to use curly birch in more of their models. Actually, Europe tends to use more wooden handle materials than the US with the exception of Italy which mainly relies on horn materials.
If wooden materials are what users are interested in, then Western Europe produces some excellent, traditional pocket knives. If fixed blades are you’re thing you can easily find a suitable blade from Scandiavia.
Click to expand...

This is a good point about European models. I had a lagioule with juniper wood and it was exquisite looking but not something I could find myself using so I passed it on. I feel like this is where putting those types of woods into a more useful design, IMO, like many of the GEC models would be a winner. Of course, the market would need to demand it and it's already a small market.

I have enjoyed some of the things Boker has been putting out like the beer barrel and bog oak series but they don't quite have the same F&F as GEC so once the prices get that high GEC seems like the better option.
 
bikerector said:
This is a good point about European models. I had a lagioule with juniper wood and it was exquisite looking but not something I could find myself using so I passed it on. I feel like this is where putting those types of woods into a more useful design, IMO, like many of the GEC models would be a winner. Of course, the market would need to demand it and it's already a small market.

I have enjoyed some of the things Boker has been putting out like the beer barrel and bog oak series but they don't quite have the same F&F as GEC so once the prices get that high GEC seems like the better option.
Click to expand...
One of the reasons I hope that GEC grows as a company is so that they can be a bit more adventurous with their handle materials. However, GEC produces their knives to be used so wood may not be at the top of the pecking order out of concern for those that live in humid climates. I believe one of the reasons they use ironwood is due to its properties as a wooden handle material?

In any case, Europe may have to fill the void for now if anyone wants to have a consistently superb product in a wooden material. Boker is usually one of them, but their F&F tends to be dodgy as not of all their knives are made in Germany. Knives stamped “Solingen” and not “Germany” onto the shield are exquisite. My small Boker stockman has kicked my larger Case stockman out of rotation. However, Boker may not be go to as most of their better knives are produced in stagand not wood, but at least traditional Boker knives are easier to come by than the alternatives.
 
I imagine the issue with many potential woods is stability. Ebony has been used as a handle material for over a hundred years for good reason.
 
Last edited:
Chief said:
GEC has done some fine wood covers with my Che Chen TC being the most impressive in person. Capturing wood chatoyancy is more difficult than even MOP, making good pics elusive. Since the OP asked for pics, here's a nice example.

gecbirdseyestainless1.jpg


gecbirdseyestainless2.jpg


I like purple heart. These pieces have aged 30 plus years, hoping someday …

purpleheart1.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes. We need more Birds Eye maple. That is special.
 
This photo slightly captures the chatoyance in this nice rosewood

Th1UZWG.jpg


Aside from ironwood, rosewood and cocobolo are firm favourites - I am a sucker for a 73 in cocobolo.
 
The 'why', at least in the past, was that tin or wood scales were used the cheap knives, jigged bone was used on the middle priced knives. The better knives were stag, and the fancy ones had pearl, horn, ivory, or tortoise shell scales. There were exceptions, of course, but wooden scales were looked at as cheap.

As far as today's makers, it's hard to say. My feeling is that a lot of the wood = cheap sentiment still holds today. Another factor may be that the ever-shifting legalities surrounding tropical woods may be a factor.

First and foremost, though, remember: bone and stag are the only scales a man's knife ever needs. The only exception is the 110.

There you go. I bet you're glad you asked now.
 
I agree with you in so far as that statement seems borne out by prices that the wooden knives get on the secondary market compared to more luxury handles. But there are exceptions - ironwood 77s and whalers, and walnut and ebony handled TC barlows get good prices.

I wonder if the issue is that GEC has determined that in the old days, wood knives were reserved for cheaper knives, and therefore cheaper woods were used, meaning there is little opportunity for northfields runs to use nicer woods? I realise this doesn’t quite make sense but what I am getting at is the issue may lie with what GEC thinks is consistent with cutlery traditions.
 
Charred Beer Barrell is pretty neat and offered only once.

I’d like to see more offerings of different woods as well.
 
Camillus said:
I wonder if the issue is that GEC has determined that in the old days, wood knives were reserved for cheaper knives, and therefore cheaper woods were used, meaning there is little opportunity for northfields runs to use nicer woods? I realise this doesn’t quite make sense but what I am getting at is the issue may lie with what GEC thinks is consistent with cutlery traditions.
Click to expand...

The old catalogs that I have (1880s to early 1900s) that actually list the wood always say either ebony or cocoa (cocobolo). Those woods were used extensively. Today those are certainly not viewed as cheaper woods. So it would be a stretch to say that the use of equivalent woods today would be out of place.
 
L lambertiana Very true indeed, old catalogues display Ebony & Coco very prominently and they were regarded as alternatives, not cheap beater options. Moreover, look how well old wooden scales have survived, particularly in contrast to bone. I think the idea of wood being a low cost basic scale probably came in mid c20th with the use of wood effect substitutes and unremarkable types of Pine Beech or Oak with little to no grain. Of course, knives such as Opinel have always used a low cost wooden handle (some 'exotics' too for variety) and this may also reinforce the idea of wood being a lowly option. It is of course different, Opinel uses a solid piece of wood hollowed out to accommodate the blade, saving on weight, liners, spring - genius! Wood scales or slabs are a different animal indeed.

In addition, world population has increased 4x since those old catalogues so the pressure on scarce resources and choice timber has become acute, Ebony is no longer-sadly-plentiful.

I've got a Hess Knifeworks Small Caper, a brilliantly versatile small fixed blade, that has some very attractive and tough Maple Eye scales. Can I find a picture of it? Not yet....;)

Thanks, Will
 
Last edited:
Bocote is very variable stuff indeed, and this is both a draw and a limitation. On Canal Street's Forum Knife 15 I hit a luck-mine and both sides have really interesting whorls and vortex. Other examples can look unremarkable or even like school furniture (from long ago!) this can inhibit buyers and manufacturers alike I suppose. Some Bocote slabs I had on a Bark River Patch Knife started peeling away from the tang and drying up horribly quickly with modest use. I got it re-scaled, but not by them:rolleyes: Made me a bit wary of Bocote but obviously they hadn't treated it properly.

The Canal St.

Y5Z9scL.jpg
 
Will Power said:
The Canal St.
Y5Z9scL.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes, if all Bocote could look that attractive then it would be everyone’s favorite. You got the pick of the litter. I think it is easier to find good looking bocote for larger fixed blade handles.

This 25 has stunning Bocote, but you do have to up close and in the right light to appreciate it because the grain is rather tight.
DC8EBF85-F997-4BFE-B3ED-DD9F28E65DC0.jpeg 2BAF069F-CCC0-456B-B5EA-1DA56E4EDD6D.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top