Will wood fade?

G

Grapevine

Joined
Mar 5, 2002
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Most of my collection so far consists of burl wood handles. Some are stabilised, some aren't. I haven't come up with a satisfactory method of displaying them yet so they've been sitting in a drawer. When I do, do I have to worry about sunlight coming in from a window (north facing window, so it's indirect sunlight), or displaying them in a cabinet with small halogen spotlights? Would these amounts of light be enough to bleach the wood of color over time? If so, how much time?
 
I have seen wood fade even when it was not in direct sunlight if the indirect sunlight is still very bright. Halogens should not be a problem as long as they are far enough away from the wood that their heat does not do damage.
 
My suggestion is to use something like Ren. Wax on your wood handles. That will protect it from the elements.
 
I don't think Renaissance wax can protect against UV light, which is the prime culprit behind sunlight's color bleaching effects. That indirect sunlight can do it over a short enough time to the extent that Keith can notice is worrisome to me. That takes out about half the possible areas for me to exhibit my knives. Halogens emit UV also, I'm wondering now if it's enough to drastically affect wood. I know museums don't want halogens shining on paintings, but paint pigment is probably much more sensitive than what's in wood, and museums are thinking in terms of centuries. Anyone with any experience with displaying in a lighted cabinet?
 
I work in audio/video retail and our store uses low voltage (20 to 50 watt) halogens to spotlight products and I have never noticed any fading on the speakers with natural wood veneers that are highlighted in this way. Some of these speakers have been under these lights for over 6 months. We do have these lights mounted on the ceiling which will keep them at least five feet from the closest part of the speaker. If you use halogen lights that have a secondary bulb halogens have a very low UV output. The glass of the outter bulb will significantly absorb the UV radiation.

Indirect sunlight will fade wood over time. The brighter the light, the worse the fading.
 
Some woods also change colour with oxidation upon exposure to the atmosphere. Light certainly makes it worse (must be the UV), but just be aware that it can still happen when the light issue is looked after, like inside of a safe. It is a natural process that does make some woods more desirable with time - ie.- takes on an unmistakable patina. I can't be specific, some woods look older than others. Some fade, some go dark, some change colour altogether. Eg.- the light streaks on my African Blackwood handles are getting lighter, and I swear the black is getting blacker. My Osage Orange handles are going from really orange to a paler yellow colour. Purpleheart is going pink. Etc. Jason.
 
My experience is that most woods get darker with time. So much so, that I have gotten in the habit of buying lighter colored woods, like high contrast ironwood, in order to allow for the darkening. I have knives in my collection that started out as nice, dark colored burl wood, and now they are simply black.
 
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