Willow

[cheekser]

I know that many Willows tend to grow abnormally and burl quite readily...but I've never seen anyone use the wood for say a knife handle. I may be coming into a sizeable piece (good to know someone in the tree removal business) of burled salix babilonica, but is it a viable wood to use for scales without sending for professional hardening? Does it look impressive? Is it a waste of time?

Cheers

 

[Tommegow]

This is one description I found
The wood has a white sapwood, which varies in width. The heartwood is light brown
to pale reddish, or grayish brown, often with darker streaks.
It is one of the lightest wood out there weight wise but if looks cool just have it stabilized.
After it is dry you might try sawing it in different "directions" to see how interesting it looks.
Burls are just different than trunk lumber so no telling what ya got
Heck chances are someone here has already checked out Willow and Willow burls

 

[JasonSCarter]

and if it dont work out for knife handles, you can always make a nice tea out of it, to allieviate headaches hollistically, (the bark is best for tea making though)

 

[marekz]

you can make really nice chairs out of the branches--i think you have to boil them first or someting-they bend really nice--marekz

 

[Phil Dwyer]

Looks fantastic to me....

Willow Burl Hunter

Willow Burl Knife

Warthog & Willow Burl (stabilized) Puuko

Willow Burl Vessel

Willow Burl Bowl

Black Willow Burl Bowl Blanks

Spalted Quilted Willow Burl

 

[Robert_Phelps]

I would imagine that most willow wood wouldn't be good without being stabilized. Trees of the genus Salix are all fast, sloppy growers.

..But from what's been posted so far, I think it'd be worth stabilizing.