Wood Properties

pvicenzi

pvicenzi

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Dec 25, 2008
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I am interested in the properties of the various woods. Most importantly, how do their colors changed when the knives are users?

I have a cocobolo that looks like ebony after a few months as a user. Is this much darkening typical?
 
Skins natural oils will darken wood. Also just use as even though hands are clean, they are still in fact dirty and that will work its way into wood pores. Light as in sunlight effects wood also. Different woods behave different in all these aspects as well. Cocobolo is an oily type wood anyways, so just the type itself can change as it ages. One of the more notorious woods that change is Lignum Vitae. Starts off tannish and the gets greener as time goes by.
 
Thanks for the info. Just got my first Woodie. Seb 21 with Box Elder.
 
Box Elder may not darken as much because of the stabilizer infuse in the wood.
 
Here are two books. The second one should be the end all be all but I find it dry and tough going.

The first one is a general woodworking book with an excellent section on wood.

Wood by Nick Engler

Wood by Hoadley

Keep in mind some wood when it comes in contact with iron and water turns black.
Also things that contain tannic acid or ammonia can darken some wood.

putting an oil finish on Cocobolo is a no no; makes it look awful.
Perhaps a light scraping with a woodworker's card scraper and then another finish would help.
 
Thanks LW. Like the lighter finish of the BE against the metal, which is why I chose it over some of the darker wood offering's. Although Cocobolo is an attractive contrast.
 
Lone_Wolfe said:
What about Ren Wax?
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Mail tracking says my new cocobolo mnandi is due today. The wood has some really nice figure. I would hate to see it darken up too much. So would Ren Wax or some other treatment help to minimize this inevitable darkening?
 
I have used Renaissance Wax also. That's is what furniture restorers use. It's good stuff.
 
Thomason said:
Mail tracking says my new cocobolo mnandi is due today. The wood has some really nice figure. I would hate to see it darken up too much. So would Ren Wax or some other treatment help to minimize this inevitable darkening?
Click to expand...

Please post pics when you get it!
 
Lone_Wolfe said:
Please post pics when you get it!
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Cocobolo Mnandi sans clip. I thought the wood was pretty nice. Hope it doesn’t get too dark. The pocket slip is an old one I got with a Laguiole, the curved shaped fits the Mnandi nicely.
I like to say cocobolo. The syllables go together well and it kind of rolls around in your mouth and over your tongue as you say it. :D

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Two of my favorite types of wood I would like to see inlays are;

Cherry, it darkens when exposed to light and is such a warm, beautiful wood in my opinion.

The other is Hickory, the contrast of the light wood and dark streaks can be amazing.

One can hope.
 
Nice photos, and comment. Cocobolo is the best sounding Chris Reeve wood name.
 
Thomason said:
Cocobolo Mnandi sans clip. I thought the wood was pretty nice. Hope it doesn’t get too dark. The pocket slip is an old one I got with a Laguiole, the curved shaped fits the Mnandi nicely.
I like to say cocobolo. The syllables go together well and it kind of rolls around in your mouth and over your tongue as you say it. :D

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Wow Nice Score! Was this from the gallery of blade per chance?
 
very nice knife... Hope you enjoy it. I would just use Ren Wax to protect it. Its more of a protection then finish. I used it on wood pens I made including cocobolo ones. Remember cocobolo produces its own oil. A lot of products don't work well on it.
 
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