Woods for knife handles, updated for total of 70 woods!

No matter what wood you use, make sure it is properly stabilized. You may cringe at the cost but it will certainly pay off. I use WSSI services for what I don't buy that is already stabilized.
 
That is wrong. Many woods not only do they need stabalizing, but don't take it.

Stabalizer is not a magic bullet. It's a plastic resin. And many woods are harder than the resin, woods like ironwood, cocobolo and lignium Vitae.

Woods like these have been prizedoing for knife handles for centuries in their natural forms and survived well.

And many woods can not be. If you have ever cocobolo stabilized, it will never set. The wood is too rich on oils for the process to cure.

You don't have to stabalize everything because not everything needs it.

Ben
 
I do know Camaru doesn't need stabilizing. This Camaru Burl I have is super dense and hard. Almost feels like Desert Ironwood. I cant even come close to marking it with my fingernail. Very closed grain much like Ironwood. I posted these before but I was like 2 years ago. I just stashed this stuff away but Im considering using it soon. I actually just acquired the other half of this same burl.

Jay

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Ben: Quick question about your notes on stabilization for these woods. Many wood types have no *asterisks* next to them. Does this mean they do not need stabilizing, in your view?
 
No asterisks or just a single one means I would be confident in using that wood on one of my own knives with not chemical treatment.
 
I just came across this thread - thank you a lot for all that information!
 
I have seen African blackwood stabilized and even bought one block. It took the plastic resin to some degree, but I have feel that stabilizing that is stuff totally unnecessary like with pretty much any member of the rosewood family that you might use.
 
I've had it done on rosewoods.

Cocobolo doesn't take it. It just weeps compound for days.

Kingwood was the same as cocobolo

East Indian took it, but it was about a 5% weight gain


The African blackwood git maybe a 2 or 3 percent weight gain.

The other thing is, the high heat used can mess with the colors of rosewoods. I really want to yell at people sometimes "NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE STABLE TO WORK"
 
For what is worth from my limited user experience stabilized wood never feels quite as nice as natural one.


sent from phone
 
Padauk doesn't stabilize well in my limited experience. It simply doesn't need it as far as I'm concerned.
 
How about juniper? I have a Laguiole with that handle and it is pretty nice and smells great.
 
I had some questions about Chechen in the other thread. As this is the most up to date one, I will answer them here.

Chechen, also sold as Caribbean Rosewood is not a true dalbergia, but it does have many of the traits for which rosewoods are known.

Appearance is often gold to honey brown, darker contrasting late wood is not as clearly demarcated as in woods like bocote or zebrawood but some pieces may still show bocote like figure.

The wood is hard and dense but still workable with sharp tools and belts, not nearly as difficult to machine as something like desert ironwood. It is also a very tough wood less prone to cracking and burning than something like ebony. Despite the local name of black poison wood, the wood is a far more mild irritant than something like cocobolo, the black poison refering to the sapwood of fresh cut trees.

Expect prices to be in the mid low range for I'm figured stock and mid range for stock with darker lines. Price for a set of scales/ block should not exceed 25 dollars unless the wood is abnormally figured.
 
Also keep an eye on my website. I will be making mu,have more in depth writeups about each wood I post for sale.
 
Funny you should mention Chechen, I just bought a 1"x5"x4' piece of the stuff for about $28. I really like the grain and color I'm seeing, the grain is almost reminiscent of cocobolo, though the color is much different; it almost has a hint of dark purple mixed in with the dark and light brown. Pretty stuff in my eyes :thumbup:
 
Just getting into knife making. Any thoughts on domestic / fruit woods? I have persimmon, apple, peach, sumac, black cherry, pecan, crape myrtle, and pomegranate all growing on my property. Is it worth saving any of the limbs when I clean them up for knife scales, or just throw them in the firewood pile? Thanks in advance.
 
Hey Trey, this is a pretty old thread, and it's kinda frowned on to resurrect old threads on this forum.

To answer your question though, sure! Why not? If you want to use the wood, and you're gonna get it stabilized it should hold up ok.

Realize though, some fruit trees have "relatively" soft wood, and may not hold up the best even if stabilized. Plus, lots of them are pretty boring looking...
 
Persimmon is a great handle wood. Crepe Myrtle is not good.The rest of your list will all work fine.

The thing to remember is that it needs to be cut, stacked, and dried for several years before cutting into smaller pieces and having them stabilized. A good moisture testing meter is a must. This is why most folks buy their wood from wood sellers as larger size kiln dried slabs/blocks ... or just buy pre-cut scales and handle blocks.
 
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