Wood; Another Exotic Handle Material...!

[Drdan]

The photo below is part of a unfinished waxed 6.5" X 3.0" X 3.0" block of AAA Presentation Grade Arizona Desert Ironwood. Robert Bradley, owner of the company, says that pieces this large are no longer available, regardless of price.

Ironwood is an extremely strong, hard, and stable wood popular with premium knives... It is a premium knife handle material since it does not shrink or expand like ivory, most exotic woods, horn, bone, etc.

It exhibits a 3D/ "chatoyant, Tiger's Eye like finish that has a brilliant sheen and leagues of beautiful depth." It only requires maintenance like any fine wood does.

http://www.arizonaironwood.com/

 

[Yvsa]

The photo below is part of a unfinished waxed 6.5" X 3.0" X 3.0" block of AAA Presentation Grade Arizona Desert Ironwood. Robert Bradley, owner of the company, says that pieces this large are no longer available, regardless of price.[/b]

Bull$hit. He just doesn't have any or maybe an access to it.
I just bought a solid, and I mean solid chunk of ironwood at the powwow a couple of weeks ago that's in its original state for a very nice sum. Granted it's probably not presentation grade but it is a solid piece of log about 4" or a tad more, haven't put a ruler on it, in diameter that's naturally seasoned and sandblasted from drying and laying in the desert.
It has beautiful striated grain all over it!!!!
I'm reasonably sure it's gonna have some nice grain at the intersection of where the wood branched out inside anyway, if not the whole piece when finished cut.
It has one side cut flat about 2" wide so that it sets flat and then the piece that branches off has been cut flat and polished.
And besides I have cousins that hunt in the desert that run across it quite frequently, no telling how much they've burned up in campfires.!
He's pulling your leg Dan. Me too as I don't know whether they've burned any or not.

I haven't decided whether to cut it up into slabs, leave it as is for a khuk handle, or sell it.
After working with the hard-assed African Blackthorn that was so dirty I may opt to leave it for a khuk handle , maybe two if I'm careful.
I still have a nice sized chunk of the African Blackthorn too, as well as some Cocobolo bowl sized turning material that Walosi gave me.

Do have to say that IS a Beautiful piece of wood you got Dan! It was worth logging out and back in too see it.

 

[John Trout]

It does look REALLY nice though...

 

[munk]

edited by author

 

[Drdan]

You might be correct that someone was pulling my leg, Yvsa, but my experience tells me no…

I asked Robert Bradley (he deals exclusively in Arizona Desert Ironwood) and others, including Myles Gilmer, and the Lumber Lady to find me a 5 1/2" X 2.5" X 2.5" AAA Presentation block, and they couldn't get me what I wanted. I searched and did my homeowrk for over a 6 month period. The block I was finally offered a month ago was cut from a 13" long piece of board that was kept for over three years as a collector's piece. Robert Bradley said it was one of the nicest pieces he's ever seen, and was confident that a perfect piece meeting my size criteria could be cut from the board, and it was. He usually slices up perfect pieces into pistol grips and knife handles to get the most $ out of the piece. I paid a substantial premium, but the quality and size speaks for itself.

I was offered blocks in A,B and C grades that size (5.5" X 2.5" X 2.5"). Most of the tourist carvings and bowls are made from these grades. The AAA exhibition grade is in a completely different category alltogether, according to wood connoisseurs, knifemakers, and woodworkers. Myles Gilmer says that only a tiny percentage of blocks will fall into the AAA presentation grade. Also with precious woods, the larger the size, the more difficult it is to find the higher grades. I surmise that it’s analogous to the rarity of diamonds… There are millions of carats of “uncolored” diamonds produced each year. Several hundred are blue, but only 2 or 3 are vivid blue…

I'm sure lots of incredible wood has been thrown into campfires in the past. Being that the best grades can be priced like ivory, it would be an expensive BBQ! I'm looking for 1 or 2 more 6.5" X 3.0" X 3.0" blocks of AAA Presentation Grade Olneya Tesota. If you have a source, definitely let me know...