Wood handle 'wood' be...

[canineforge]

...the most versatile handle material? (It is very versatile in the title).

This question is the heading of a two-page black and white pictorial in the June 2007 Blade Magazine. It states in the sub-heading that it is not only versatile in appearance, but also lends itself to an almost limitless choice of shapes and feels.

I thought with the Blade Show getting close, and the ivory handle thread being so popular, why not post some pictures of your favorite wood handled knives, fixed and folding? This isn't intended to be a poll of favorite overall handle, but a chance to share some of the versatility of wood in custom knives.

This Ozark Walnut Bowie by Don Hanson was one of the seven knives pictured in the Blade article.

- Joe

 

[Keith Montgomery]

Gee, a great looking Hanson knife. Who would have thunk it?

 

[canineforge]

And here is some more Missouri walnut on this Mark Holson bowie:

- Joe

 

[Don Hanson III]

This should be a good thread Joe and complement the ivory one. I love Missouri black walnut.

Someone needs to add that last Hogstrom fighter to this thread :thumbup:

 

[T.K.C.]

Those are both beautifully handled knives!!

 

[Keith Montgomery]

That Holson looks great. It's walnut handle has beautiful figuring.

 

[RogerP]

If the position of President of the Wood Fanclub is open, I would like to announce my candidacy.

I love the endless beauty and limitless variety that wood offers in a handle material. And you are correct about it offering excellent opportunity for rendering the handle just exactly the way you want it.

Don't have the time to find and post multiple pics at the moment (about to ascend Jamaica's Blue Mountain for some truly excellent coffee) - but here are a few of my favorite wood pics:

Roger

 

[ptgdvc]

Here is a little Afazalia Burl on a couple of Wheelers.

Ebony from Nick

Maple Burl from Shawn McIntyre, JS

Sheoak Burl from Tom Ferry, MS.

Amboyna from Russ Andrews, JS

Matt Roberts, Afazalia Burl

Tom Ferry, MS, Tiger Striped Maple

African Blackwood from John White, JS

 

[jdm61]

Don gave me a few blocks of that Ozark walnut as a thank you gift for buying a Volkwagens worth of W2 from him.....lol. Good looking stuff. Compares very nicely with the English walnut that I have and it is probably a lot easier to get and cheaper too. Can't wait to use some. I have a nice big stick of Amboyna that i got from a custom pool cue supply house here in Florida that I also want to put on the big knife. LOVE that African Blackwood and the other members of the rosewood family too:thumbup:

 

[PolRoger]

RogerP:
In the group shot below the ERAII is that a Filicietti Bowie?

 

[Doug C]

Couple of Filicietti's I had in my hard drive.
KRUG82,Yep,that's a Filicietti you asked Roger about.

Doug

 

[ptgdvc]

RogerP:
In the group shot below the ERAII is that a Filicietti Bowie?

I guess Roger is working this morning. Yes it is. This one is in my fantasy collection.

 

[Bladeandbarrel]

I would rather have a piece of primo stabilized wood than any piece of mediocre stag or even buffalo or sheephorn. Nice pics, gents.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Here's a Hendrickson skinner with Cocobolo.

 

[hmarziali]

I'd like to sheare with you my caved olive handle.
Horacio

 

[SharpByCoop]

I second the motion to nominate RogerP as President and Director of the Woodie Fanclub. All in favor....???

Mine, of course. Can you tell why I like walnut?

The venerable Ironwood on a $4000+ knife.

Something unusual:

Long live the King!

Coop

 

[Grapevine]

Coop, that's a beautiful block of olivewood resting under that Hill Pearce lockback. It's hard finding olivewood with lots of fine figuring. Some years ago I sent a somewhat similar block to Dan Farr to make a knife for me, and this was the result:

I'm very glad I got this ironwood handled Owyhee off fellow member RDangerer

And this picture from AG Russell's site, though not a custom, is what made me get into customs. It was clear to me that the only way I could ensure that I could get wood handles that were equal in quality of burl and figuring as the quince wood shown I'd have to go the custom route.

 

[jdm61]

I have 9 knives on the bench right now and each of them will have a different specie of wood for their handle. I have picked out pieces of amboyna burl, olivewood, African blackwood, old growth Brazilian rosewood, desert ironwood, curly maple and stabilized Ozark black walnut. The remaining options for the last two are cocobolo, figured English Walnut, ebony, lightly figured snakewood and tulipwood. Any sugestions?

 

[NDallyn]

I honestly think that the advent of stabilized woods has increased the versatility of all species of woods used in knifemaking. Case in point is this WSSI stabilized spalt maple burl on a 12" camper (dovetailed NS bolsters, stainless corby fasteners and tube, 3/16 edge-quenched and flat ground O1). Usually I woundn't post pics of an incomplete blade, but I like this one too much to keep it too myself (still about 10 hours or so left to go plus sheath).

I absolutely love the lighter-colored burl and curl woods (maple, box elder, etc) but for sheer accessibility and beginner-friendly use, it's gotta be desert ironwood (great look and cheaper than the stabilized & figured woods - even up in Canada).

Have a good one,

Nathan Dallyn

PS. Mr. Hanson, if you ever want to get rid of some more of that walnut, send me a pm or email - I can probably find it a good home

 

[canineforge]

PS. Mr. Hanson, if you ever want to get rid of some more of that walnut, send me a pm or email - I can probably find it a good home

Nathan, thanks for sharing your camper. The burl woods really show the versatility of wood used in customs. Be sure and share your finished images with us.

Here is some of the Missouri black walnut that Don's brother, David Hanson, just sold on E-bay. David goes by 'fishingfool' on the site and occasionally has wood for sale.

- Joe