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Worm holes

C

CDH

Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
283
Do you guys tolerate any worm holes in your handle wood? I have a piece that I want to use on a low budget knife but I keep going back and forth. What do you think? S. Texas mesquite is notorious for this, BTW, and this guy likes wood with character. He loved the last slabs I used despite an obvious streak of black...a watermark for lack of a better term, almost a spault line but that would be generous.

Anyway, use it or send it to the firewood pile?

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I know a knifemaker that used superglue to fill voids and pores in wood. He kept coating it over and over then sanded and buffed.

I haven't used it, thats what he told me.
 
Use the old cabinet maker's trick - mix glue and sanding dust from that wood and fill hole .
 
A hole is much easier to hide than a random spalted line through the middle of a piece of wood. The last knife I made ended up with one on the handle that was in the center of the block of nice quilted sycamore which you would never have a chance to know was there.
 
That isn't wormy. The photo attached is wormy! Wormy Chestnut. It's called "wormy chestnut" when you purchase it. I got it back in the Amish Country of Ohio when I lived there. The Amish use this stuff to make furniture out of, worm holes and all. I'm saving it for just the "right" rustic type knife.

I had a piece of cocobolo rosewood with a worm hole in it (I didn't realize it had the hole until I was finishing out the knife) and I just kept it on the knife and did the super glue fill thing with it, leaving the wormhole apparant for "character". I've attached a photo of the wood before and the knife with the worm hole showing.
 

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I think it has character.
You can use clear epoxy mixed with a darker sawdust. That way it will be a darker spot. I think it would actualy go well with the wood.
 
use it I just did one from Katrina oak and it had a couple of worm holes they look nice I think but I like that stuff
 
I had something similar, but alot worse. :( The slab of cypress I used for a hidden tang filet knife had a core of "tubules" that looked like a swarm of worms had used it for a straight away. :eek::eek:

I didn't see it untill the handle was welded (J B) on, shaped, and had started sanding :grumpy:. The fix was taking som alcohol and a tooth brush to clean the detriuos out, then fill with clear 5 minute epoxy after it dried..

It added depth and character. :cool:

Jim L.
 
Justin.Mercier said:
A hole is much easier to hide than a random spalted line through the middle of a piece of wood. The last knife I made ended up with one on the handle that was in the center of the block of nice quilted sycamore which you would never have a chance to know was there.
Click to expand...

And very nice it was too :D
 
Wormy Pecan is a sought after wood here in the South.
I have an antique bed with W.P. side rails.I guess it depends
on what you like. I like it :)
 
Tommegow said:
Wormy Pecan is a sought after wood here in the South.
I have an antique bed with W.P. side rails.I guess it depends
on what you like. I like it :)
Click to expand...

Worms in your bed? Now that is something I wouldn't want to deal with. :)
 
Using very fine sawdust from the same block and superglue I was able to fill the holes uncovered during the shaping process. It was worse than I had hoped, but only one one side. I suspect the end user will do more display than usage anyway, but hey, it is his now!

South Texas mesquite, hand rubbed (many times!) Danish oil finish

Blade is a blank from TKS, their "Hunters Delight", with moderate modification by me, mostly reducing the size of the grip area by a good 1/8" in total and flattening the sides to reduce the rounding from their (excessive) buffing job.

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