wild wood handle process?

[bigjakes]

I am new to knife making and I am interested in getting some wood from local trees. What is the process that I would need to take a tree branch to wood for a knife handle? If you dont know the answer can you please point me in the right direction? Thanks for the help.

 

[Poez]

Leave the bark on, cover the cut with a paint to prevent fast drying and cracking and leave it in a cool dry place for couple of years. Some wood is very prone to cracking while drying, some less so.
Some people "cook" it in a strong brine for a number of hours to forcefully extract any water from the wood. I have never tried that and can not really say anything about this method.