Custom Knife Handle Materials: Woods
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Please note: I do not sell woods or wood stock. I only use woods on my own knife handles. Please click here to find out what I do and don't do. |
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Questions, Answers, Pictures, Descriptions, and Synonyms of |
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Domestic and Exotic Hardwoods Used in Modern Knife Handles |
| Introduction: It
is my goal to make this the best page of exotic woods used in
knife handles on the net, period. I've worked hard to illustrate and describe
the woods used in custom knife handles, components, stands cases, scabbards,
sheaths, and fittings. Although I'm better known for my gemstone custom knife
handles, I've worked extensively with woods in this field for over 30 years.
I'll continue to add to this page as I complete new projects and find pictures
of other uses of these fine woods. All of the knives pictured on this page are
my own, all the woods listed I've personally worked with. The comments are based
on my personal experience with these woods. Remember, woods vary in appearance
and texture even within the same board, so there is no absolutely uniform
dictate on a particular wood's performance. Being porous, woods can absorb and
release moisture and other agents that they're exposed to which will
change their makeup and sometimes size. Details are answered below, but if you
have a question you can't find an answer for, please
email me here, so I can add it to this
information. Thanks!
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The ten most commonly asked questions about woods used in modern custom knives
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Wooden knife handles have been used ever since the invention of the knife. Woods are organic, warm to the touch, comfortable to hold, and can be long lasting. Wood handles are used on nearly every kind of fine tool, instrument, or even vehicles. Hardwoods exhibit a distinctive class of fine taste, and throughout time, will always be cherished for their value. Hardwoods compliment metals very well, and artistically are sound, choice exhibits. In knives, they have been, and will always be a standard.
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What is the difference between hard woods, soft woods, and just plain wood? Hardwood actually refers to trees that are deciduous. Soft woods refer to conifers. Because most of the deciduous trees have wood that is physically dense and more resistant to penetration, they were coined "hardwoods." This may not necessarily be the case though, as some conifers have very hard, tough wood, and some deciduous trees are fairly soft. There is also confusion about which part of the tree has the most usable wood, and in knife handles, almost always it's the heartwood that is harder and more usable than the sapwood. |
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Are there original or unique hardwoods just for knife handles? Looking at the availability of exotic hardwoods, one would think that only a dozen or so rate for use on a custom knife handle. This is simply not true as there are hundreds of applicable woods, and many of these woods exist in a group that has hundreds of species! Though it may be said that each piece of wood is unique, many are so uniform that originality cannot be claimed. In example, one piece of ebony looks pretty much like another, uniform and black. But most woods exhibit some figure, color variation, or pattern that makes them attractive. |
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What makes one wood usable on a knife handle, and another not? Woods used for handles (any kind of handle) must be fairly hard to be long lasting. They must be durable, able to hold fine curves and thin sections without breaking, chipping or splintering. They must be smooth to the hand, polish well, and fairly close grained so debris, staining, and contamination is kept at a minimum. And they must be attractive. Another point not often considered is their tendency to expand an contract with moisture and temperature changes. All organic materials change to some extent. Good knifemakers strive to use stable woods and minimize movement that can loosen the wood handle from the metal knife tang. |
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What about Stabilized Laminates like Pakkawood®, Dymondwood®, and Staminawood®? These are actually plywood products, usually constructed from birch. Dyes are vacuum impregnated into the wood, then the wood is pressure impregnated with polymer or phenolic resin at very high pressures, then highly compressed into plywood blocks. With the high compression rates and solid massing of the material, this creates a very dense, tough, and solid wood product, that is pretty much waterproof when wet. Though I don't use these often (some of the colors are quite garish), some clients request them and I'm happy to accommodate them. These stabilized laminates are very durable, polish brightly, and are long lived. |
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These are woods that are usually too weak, too porous, or too plain to be used without treatment. Like the laminates, dyes are vacuum impregnated into the wood, then the wood is pressure impregnated with polymer or phenolic resin at very high pressures. With the high rates of pressure, this creates a very dense, tough, and solid wood product, that is pretty much waterproof when wet. I use stabilized hardwoods like Box Elder Burl, Buckeye Burl, Redwood Burl, Olive, Maple Burl and a host of others. The process creates a very durable wood, unique in color that polishes brightly, and is very durable and long lasting. |
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What is the difference between a burl, straight grain, or wavy grain, figure, and texture? There are many terms used to describe woods. In the descriptions below, you'll find terms to describe hardness, durability, and appearance. Hover over these terms for the definition: coarse grained, close grained, figure, pored wood, textured. |
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Are some woods more expensive than others? You bet they are. Woods like snakewood and pink ivory come at a high price. Sometimes, certain cuts of woods (like Desert ironwood and burls) that show plenty of figure and interest cost up to ten times per handle for the knifemaker, a cost that increases the value of the knife, and the final cost of the knife to the client. There is also a lot of misinformation on the internet and in reference books about woods, their availability and their value (a good example is the listing about Desert Ironwood below). Environmentalists will decry all cutting and usage of wood, yet most woods are completely renewable, and many sources of "rare and exotic" woods we use come from wood farms and plantations. It is in their best interest to hype woods as extremely rare and irreplaceable, as this will drive the price up, giving suppliers more profit. Could it be worthwhile for lumber interests to allow some environmentalists claims to go unchallenged while the price of wood increases because of "rarity" or "limited supply?" There is also a difference in use and volume. The smaller a piece of wood is cut, the higher the price per pound. It's outrageous. In example, just go to a hardware store and look at a piece of all-thread rod. A one foot bar will cost three to five times as much per foot as a six foot bar. Why? Is the cut more expensive? Is the little piece more valuable per inch than the larger one? No, the store knows that if you don't need a six foot piece, then you're willing to pay more per foot for a smaller piece just to get the job done. Knife handle scales are that way. You can go to Mexico and pay $30 US for fifteen pounds of ironwood, enough material to make 30 or more handles, or you can buy a pair of scales from a knife making supply company for $30 each. Sure, you sometimes get to pick and choose the particular cut, and they do tend to weed out the unusable scrap. But thirty times the price? Makers and knife clients will pay that though, if they think they're getting something original. Yet there are thousands and thousands of knives out there with similar handles. There are more expensive woods, and there are less expensive woods. Many cost more than the steel in the blade. The cost is not dependent on durability, hardness, or longevity of the wood handle material, it is almost always the appearance. And nearly all of them are beautiful in their own way. Of course, I have to consider my costs, working costs and expendables, and rarity in the final evaluation of the price of the knife, case, stand, or artwork, so that too, figures into the pricing. |
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What about the names of hardwoods? Hardwood names can be bewildering. Every country has a host of names all for the same wood, other countries name the same wood in their host of names, then dealers and suppliers add their own name to the wood, and before you know it the wood has twenty different names. Take Ironwood, for instance. There is a lot of confusion as the term "Ironwood" refers to many trees in many nations. The Latin term iron wood is Pau Ferro, another host of descriptive wood types bear that name. It seems that every country has some hard wood or tough tree that deserves the name Ironwood, and there are over 80 distinct species from all over the world that are commonly named Ironwood. Common trees that bear the Ironwood name are: American hornbeam, Black Ironwood, Desert Ironwood, Olive trees, Hop Hornbeam, Persian Ironwood, Ipe, Ekki, Rose Chestnut, Ceylon Ironwood, Australian Ironwood, and even Lignum Vitae, the densest wood known. Then there is Pau Ferro, Pao Ferro, Pao Fierro: from two different continents, all different trees. Some of the woods referred to have several species (and some have hundreds of species!), so the traits I've experienced and noted may not apply to all the woods of the same name. At the synonym list at the bottom of this page, I've tried to nail down the types of each, including cross referencing the common and trade names of the woods. This page consists of a lot of research. I learned a lot compiling it. |
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What about general descriptions of these hardwoods? I've compiled quite a bit of information on this page, and in doing so, found a lot of errors in the texts of reference manuals on woods, and on the internet. Some woods are listed in the books as "non-durable," and in my experience, they are extremely hard, durable, and long lasting. Many woods are listed as rare or nearly impossible to get, but look on the internet and there are literally hundreds of sources to acquire them. The information and descriptions below are derived from over 25 years of my experience using the woods for knife handles, cases, stands, and in other cabinet, furniture, and turning projects. So, while many dealers and suppliers of exotic and domestic hardwoods make claims about their use, I've actually used them, sawn, cut, drilled, carved, sanded, and polished them, and my clients have used them in the field, in their collections, and even in active military combat. I've applied that real world experience with valid information, to nail down a specific description of the wood. If I've missed something, please let me know! |
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Notes, disclaimer about web photos and wood appearance I've tried my best to give an accurate color and figure rendering of these exotic and domestic woods and handle materials. Some things to consider are:
There are some considerations also for photographic rendering of these knife handle materials:
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On this page is a list of hardwood materials I've used in custom knife handles. Many of these I have in stock, and most are available if I don't stock them. Email me here for prices and availability, or include your choice on the Custom Knife Order Form Here. |
Wood Knife Handle Materials, with links to descriptions, photographs, and other names.
Wood Handle Material Descriptions
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Amaranth (Purpleheart) Peltogyne spp. F. Leguminosae:
- Origin: Tropical America from Mexico to Brazil. Moderately hard an medium dense hardwood, initially brown when cut, but turns dark purple when oxidized or heated. Although a bit open grained for knife handles, it offers interesting color patterns with torch work. Straight grained. Polishes easily, slightly porous. Occasional streaks of grain with white lines. Used also on cabinets, heavy outdoor construction, gymnasium apparatus, diving boards, skis, chemical vats.
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- Arririba (Canarywood) Centrolobium spp.:
- Origin: Brazil. From a small tree, color yellow to tan with red and black streaks. Used also in naval architecture, cabinet veneers. Polishes well, is very stable, holds its color which is bright and interesting. Tight grained, stunning in knife handles, knife hard sheaths and scabbards, and stands. Straight grained, some wavy grain.
- Australian Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon:
- Origin: Hundreds of species of the Acacia genus: South America, South Africa, India, Australia, Tasmania. Despite the name, the heartwood is reddish brown, bands of dark brown with a reddish tint. Some oxidizes deep red over time. Makes a dense, tight, solid and long lasting knife handle. It's very hard, moderately dense, straight grained, polishes very brightly, with a fine finish, and is stable. Used in high quality furniture, billiard tables, gun stocks, ornamental turnery and musical instruments.
- Birch Laminates (Stabilized) Usually Betula papyrifera:
- Origin: Factory modified and created from birch. These laminates are sold by the name Dymondwood®, Pakkawood®, Staminawood®, and others are vacuum dye impregnated and then pressure treated compressed laminate plywood products. Most of the wood used is birch. These are tough, durable, long lasting and waterproof wood products, and sometimes have bold colors, stripes, and figure. They are a popular wood product for knife handles, so yes, I use them too, occasionally. The shocking patterns can look a bit ridiculous, so I try to stay away from the types that look like a carnival clown. But, since I do custom orders, and clients get what they want, some opt for these products because of durability as well as color, and they are quite durable on the knife handle. Important: see also my page on man made handle materials which has extensive information on these wood products here!
- Bloodwood (Satine)Brosimum paraense:
- Origin: South America. This is a fairly common hardwood, bright blood red. Moderately hard, takes a good polish, very durable and long lasting. Straight grained, heavy. I've used this in custom knife handles for years, and in stands, hard sheaths, and fittings, it lasts very well with moderate sealing with wax or cyanoacrylate. Used in turnery, fine cabinets, ornamental woodwork. There are several species of this group, and some distinguish between Satine, Bloodwood, and Cacique. The only differences I've seen is that Caciqe occasionally has small white deposits in some of the grain (silicates).
- Bocote (Bucote) Cordia alliodora:
- Origin: Mexico, Central and South America. A very dramatic figured wood, with light tan background and sometimes wild dark brown stripes in both straight grain and knots, occasional burls, and waves. Medium density, very porous, takes sealers well, somewhat permeable. In knife handles, great care must be used in finishing, as the grain picks up polish and metal swarf, but once finished, is a bold and long lasting handle. Used in fine cabinetry, furnishings. Mildly fragrant. Porosity can be a problem when finishing, as it takes polish and debris unless sealed.
- Bois ď arc (Osage Orange) Maclura pomifera:
- Origin: Southwestern United States. The name "arc of the bow" is from the wood's use as bows for Native American tribes. This smallish tree was encouraged in Oklahoma and Texas as hedgerow, and produces some of the hardest, toughest wood in the Americas. It's been planted more than any other tree in America. The wood is bright, clear, straight grained lemon yellow in color. It is hard, dense, heavy, and takes a bright glossy polish on knife handles or other implements or tools. Care must be taken not to overheat when working with the wood, as it darkens and burns easily. Little change occurs on the knife handle during aging. When applied to a knife handle, it stands alone in color and clarity; I know of no other wood that can be confused with Osage orange. The tree bears inedible "oranges" and the wood has an almost citrus scent when working. It's also been used for veneers, wheels, archery bows, accents in inlay and marquetry, and for dyes.
- Box Elder Burl Acer negundo F.Aceraceae:
- Origin: Northeastern United States. Box elder is a member of the Maple family. It is a medium sized tree, and is planted often for shade, the form of the tree has multiple branches and therefore whorls and crotches in the wood. The wood of interest in this tree is the burl wood, hard, twisted, knotted, with beautiful figure, whorls, and curves. It is a favorite of mine in knife handles, original, wild, and highly figured. The burl is often pressure treated and impregnated with dyes and either polymer or phenolic resin (see stabilized woods on this page) for a gorgeous knife handle material. As with all stabilized woods, it is mostly waterproof, long lasting, takes a fine polish and finish, and is very stable.
- Buckeye Burl Aesculus glabra:
- Origin: Central United States from Alabama to Pennsylvania, originally imported from Germany. Most people know this tree associated with the name "Buckeye" and Ohio, it is the state tree and the name of college teams. Many people have seen the buckeyes, the seeds of the tree, they are hard, dark brown, round about an inch in diameter, and glossy. The are supposed to resemble the eye of a buck deer, hence the name. The seeds are poisonous. The tree isn't much to look at, small to medium sized, resembling a horse chestnut, with smelly twigs and flowers, and for the most part the wood is soft. But the wood has rippled, wavy figures, and the burl is magnificent when stabilized. I've used stabilized buckeye burl for years and it makes a beautiful, serviceable knife handle. I've even got a buckeye burl table in my home, and it has fascinating figure. The wood is also used for paper, splints, wooden limbs, and veneers.
- Bubinga Didelotia africana or Guibourtia Demeusei:
- Origin: Gabon, Camerouns. Reddish brown fairly hard and dense exotic wood with interesting broad bands of figure, sometimes wavy, takes a very nice polish and finishes well. Durable, resistant to stains and doesn't darken with age. Varnishes or oils well. Makes a great knife handle, sheath, knife case, or stand component. Used in veneers, fine cabinetry, building small boxes.
- Cocobolo Dalbergia retusa:
- Origin: Pacific seaboard of Central America from Mexico to Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua. This is probably the most popular wood for fine knife handles and gun grips. It is a very dense, very oily, very resinous hardwood. When first cut, it exhibits striking patterns of color, rich reddish browns, tans, oranges, yellows, dark reds, and dark browns and can be straight grained of highly figured. After a year or two in service, it darkens considerably, sometimes to near black, but keeps some visual interest. It's very stable. The wood gives off a rich, attractive odor when worked, but has none when finished. This wood has a long reputation for dependability. It's used for turnery, handles, bowling balls, sculpture, carving, scientific instruments, boat wheels, forks and spoons, limited veneers, and wooden jewelry. Working it is tricky, as the dust can induce a reaction similar to poison ivy. I know of one knifemaker who can never be exposed to the dust again, because of a severe reaction. I've used it for years, but take full safety precautions. This has nothing to do with the final use, though, as once it's finished, it's completely stable and non-reactive. Probably the most popular material for handmade custom knife handles.
- Courbaril (Jatoba) Hymenaea courbaril:
- Origin: Southern Mexico through Central America and the West Indies, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. This is a heavy, dense hardwood, with reddish brown and darker brown stripes. Takes a very good polish, is lustrous, rich, and seems to glow from within. Takes a very long time to dry, I had a piece that took over five years to season before it quit moving! It's difficult to work, but worth it. It makes a bright, glassy polished finish on a knife handle. High shock resistance leads to its use in handles, looms, wooden gear cogs, high class furniture flooring and stair treads because of its great resistance to wear. It is interesting to note that the tree is the source of copal, the gummy, resinous substance used to seal boats, and in glues and adhesives. Ancient copal became fossilized, creating the gemstone amber.
- East Indian Rosewood Dalbergia latifolia:
- Origin: India, Southern Asia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Java. A medium density wood, naturally oily and resinous, but with large open pores that must be sealed with a sealant, or debris will accumulate, and polishing will dig out or undercut the sanded finish. Because of this porosity, it's more suitable to knife cases, stands, and holders than handles, in my opinion. It's dark purple with black streaks, occasionally light to dark brown, reasonably attractive, and fairly inexpensive. Cracks along the grain easily. Used in guitar fingerboards sides and backs, pool cues, fine furniture, doors, veneers, shuttles, turnery, pens, furniture.
- Ebony Diospyros spp:
- Origin: Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroons, Zaire, also Ceylon, India. A very popular exotic wood, in demand since ancient Egyptian times. The heartwood is black, the sapwood is called "white ebony." Straight grained, some curliness, fine, even texture, smooth, lustrous finish. It's very stable, high in strength, and can be brightly polished. It's been used in handmade knife handles for centuries, with dependable, uniform results and longevity. Used in sculpture, carving, inlays, door knobs, billiard cues, piano and organ keys, stringed instrument finger boards, guitar backs, castanets, and for fine veneers.
- Fruitwoods:
- Origin: Domestic. Fruitwoods used in custom knife handles can be very stable, beautiful, and long lasting. Pear wood is rosy pink, cream background, and fine and close grained, and finishes and polishes well. It's used on instrument quality rulers and drafting instruments and marquetry. Pecan, which is a species of hickory, produces fine, even grained reddish wood with brown stripes. Some prime pieces make great knife handles, cases, and stand components. It's used in veneers and furniture. Apple, once cured, makes very fine knife handles, with close grain, with a reddish brown color, and is used in golf club heads. There are other fruitwoods and nutwoods that are suitable for fine custom knife handles.
- Goncalo Alves Astronium fraxinifolium:
- Orgin: Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay. This is a very nice hardwood, with striking patterns in medium golden reddish brown to dark brown streaks and waves. It finishes well, is very hard and heavy, and looks great on a knife handle, taking a glassy finish. Because of the wild figuring, it's been used for picture inlays and is also used for dampers of grand pianos, boatbuilding, fine furniture. It has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful exotic hardwoods.
- Guayabillo (Verdolago) Terminalia oblonga or Terminalia Amazonica:
- Origin: Tropical forests of Central and South America. This is a smooth, even grained and textured wood, of fairly hard and dense. The color is red-brown, with straight figure and darker brown growth lines. It has high impact strength, polishes well, and is very durable. I haven't used it much for custom knife handles, but like what I have and will continue to use it in future projects. It's also used extensively for flooring, decks, utility poles, tool handles, furniture, turnery, structural timber, and veneers.
- Honduran Rosewood Dalbergia stevensonii:
- Orgin: British Honduras, Brazil, Belize. This hardwood has a long history of usage and export, it's pinkish brown with some purple and darker and lighter bands. It's hard, heavy, oily and resinous, and makes a superb knife handle. The color doesn't change (like cocobolo), and it takes a very keen polish and stays that way. It makes a great knife handle, and keeps it's pattern and figure even through rough and long term handling. It's used for the manufacture of xylophones and marimbas, furniture, cabinets, bank fittings, paneling, carving, sculpture, bowls. This is a very highly prized exotic wood rumored to be diminishing in supply, but I see plenty of it on the market all the time. Makes me wonder if this is a ploy to keep the prices high.
- Honduran Rosewood Burl Dalbergia stevensonii:
- Origin: Same as Honduran Rosewood above. Unlike the listing above, this wood IS very rare; I was lucky enough to come across a burl of Honduran Rosewood years ago, and have some of it left. I've never seen any more of it it my whole career of knife making. The burl is filled with knots, wild circular forms and waves, there is not one straight line on it. Most of the ringed patterns are smaller than a dime, and it's hard to get pieces uniform enough for a knife handle, but when I can, it's worth it. Very beautiful stuff.
- Imbuyia or Imbuya Phoebe porosa:
- Origin: Southern Brazil. Chocolate brown to olive-yellow, and may be variegated, fine textured, mostly straight grained, but sometimes wavy. It takes a medium high polish. This is a medium weight, medium hardness wood, and is decorative. I've had good luck with it in knife handles, when well sealed, and it makes a beautiful case or knife stand. It looks somewhat like walnut, but with more figure, and is used for cabinets, furniture, joinery, sculpture, turning, rifle butts and gun stocks. Some veneers are made from it.
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- Ipe Tabebuia avellanedae:
- Origin: Tropical America. Olive-brown colored heartwood, with yellow lapachol powder in the grain, so there are tiny yellow lines in the finished wood. It's similar to teak in appearance. Satiny finish. It's very dense, moderately hard, and very long wearing. The grain is straight. It's not a common knife handle material because it's a bit boring, with pretty much olive straight lines and bits of yellow. Good for cases, stands and other decorative knife components. It's used for decks, docks, fine veneer, railway ties, and work requiring high wear resistance and resistance to decay. A very tough wood.
- Ironwood (Desert) Olneya tesota:
- Origin: Sonoran Desert, Americas. Ironwood deserves special attention. There is a lot of confusion as the term "Ironwood" refers to many trees in many nations. It seems that every country has some hard wood or tough tree that deserves the name Ironwood, and there are over 80 distinct species from all over the world that are commonly named "Ironwood." Common trees that bear the Ironwood name are: American hornbeam, Black Ironwood, Desert Ironwood, Olive trees, Hop Hornbeam, Persian Ironwood, Ipe, Rose Chestnut, Ceylon Ironwood, Australian Ironwood, and even Lignum Vitae, the densest wood known. The Ironwood that knifemakers mostly use is Desert Ironwood, that comes from the Sonoran desert in Arizona and Mexico. It is very hard and dense, naturally oily and resinous, and takes a very bright glassy polish. It's impervious to just about any thing, and long wearing. The colors and patterns of Desert Ironwood can be wild and beautiful, straight grained, or demure. Some of it has an almost chatoyant (cat's eye) effect in the figure. In custom knives, it's probably the second most common handle material, next to Cocobolo. Outstanding pieces with high figure are very prized in the custom knife field. It's also used in carvings, sculpture, and small boxes, as well as inlay, accents, and even jewelry. There is a lot of information around about how rare it's becoming and how hard it is to find, but it's commonly for sale everywhere, and often marked up outrageously. There is a lot of misinformation out there about how rare the carvings of ironwood are, but one only needs to go to any market in Mexico, and you'll find hundreds of badly done carvings out of really nice Ironwood at a very reasonable price (they slab out nicely).
- Kingwood Dalbergia cearensis:
- Origin: Brazil. This fine wood is a member of the rosewood family. It has a rich violet-purple striping to black, with cream undertones. It has a fine texture, is uniform and mostly straight grained, somewhat waxy, and finishes and polishes brightly. It's a very heavy, dense wood, and moderately hard. The name is derived from its preference by French royalty and the Georgian period of English furniture, and was the preferred wood for thrones and royalty. I've used it extensively in fine knife handles, and it's a great, long lasting, hard, dense glassy handle, wonderful to touch. It's use is mostly decorative, though, because the tree is rather small. Used in turnery, sculpture, veneers, marquetry, and to restore that old French and English furniture. Another wood claimed to be scarce, yet there are many sources of it.
- Lacewood Grevillea robusta or Grevellia sublimis:
- Origin: Australia and Europe. Often called Silky-oak, but is not an oak at all. This is a striking wood, with a "basketweave" or "fish scale" rayed appearance of the figure, from 1/4" down to 1/16" lacelike patterns, though it's mostly straight grained. It is only of medium density and light hardness. It's tan to shell pink and light brown, very open grained, so sealing is necessary, but it makes a fine knife handle. Long term, the grain raises somewhat, and that helps to increase the tactile feel and grip on a knife handle. Also used in decorative boxes, marquetry, ornamental cabinetwork, and veneers. In Australia, where it is common, it's used as a shade tree, and the lumber for building and shuttering, wood floors, plywood, and panelling.
- Lignum Vitae Guaiacum officinale:
- Origin: All of the central Americas, from southern Florida to Venezuela. The name sometimes refers to three species of trees, all called Lignum Vitae (The wood of life), whose resin was believed to cure illnesses. The wood is greenish black, mostly straight grained, and incredibly dense, heavy, hard, and tough. It's known as the hardest, heaviest wood in the world. It's three times as hard as oak. Its density is almost equal to iron, an it withstands a working pressure of 2000 psi! A full one third of its weight is comprised of gum, so it's used in mechanical devices such as bearings, and is resistant to most chemicals and decay. As you can probably guess, it will outlast all other woods in knife handles, and many manmade materials. Bearings have been made of Lignum Vitae and used in clocks, fans, air conditioners, underwater marine equipment, and hydroelectric plants. It's been used as thrust blocks, cable guides, wheels, and propeller shafts for ocean liners. The ornamental uses are as sculpture and turnings. As you can imagine, it makes an almost indestructible knife handle.
- Maccassar (Macassar) Ebony Diospyros spp.:
- Origin: East Indies and Ceylon. This is a colorful ebony, sometimes streaked with yellow or yellow-brown to golden lines. Like other ebonies, it's hard, resinous, self-sealing and waxy with a fine grain. It makes a stunning, rich knife handle. It takes a very bright polish, and is very durable and long lasting. Also used in musical instruments for its good tonal properties, and carvings, sculpture, furniture, inlays, and pool cues.
- Madagascar Rosewood Dalbergia greveana:
- Origin: Madagascar, other islands. This is a very dark, reddish, burgundy rosewood, which is dense and polishes well. It maintains color well, is slightly open pored, but makes a fine knife handle. Also used on musical instruments, furniture, and turnings.
- Maple, Rock Acer saccharum:
- Origin: United States, northeastern. This is a very well established hardwood, also called "Sugar Maple." There are two types of maple, only the hard maple is used in knife handles. It is a moderately heavy and hard wood, dense and tough, creamy white with a bit of pink, and can be curly or wavy figured (fiddleback) or with bird's eye. The texture is fine, even and lustrous, and it takes a high polish. Usually it is stained chemically in the finishing process to bring out the chatoyant effect in the wood before it is sealed. It makes a permanent, hard, tough knife handle. It's been used extensively for skating rink and gymnasium floors, bowling alleys, butcher blocks, musical instruments, piano actions, sporting goods, furniture, pool balls, veneers, and the tree is the source of maple syrup.
- Maple (Fiddleback, Curly, Bird's Eye, Wavy, Tigertail, Tiger) Acer saccharum:
- Orgin: United States, northeastern. Same in every way to Rock (hard) Maple, but with wavy, curly, or bird's eye figure. Makes a great knife handle, see Rock Maple above.
- Mesquite (Honey Mesquite) Prosopis glandulosa:
- Origin: Southwestern United States, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma. Also known as (go figure) Ironwood. This is a medium density wood, takes a decent polish, but must be well sealed on a knife handle, due to open pores. It is light reddish to pinkish brown, sometimes with darker lines, and wavy to curly figure, and is sometimes chatoyant when well polished, sealed and finished. Great in stands, cases, knife sheaths, and knife components.
- Oak (American Red Oak) Quercus rubra:
- Origin: Though there are over 60 species of oak that grow just in the United States, probably the most common oak used is red oak. I've even got a tree of this in my yard, and it's beautiful in the fall, with the leaves turning dark red. The wood of red oak is almost common in the U.S., but as a general building timber it is expensive. I don't use it in knife handles, it's too large grained and porus and needs a lot of sealing, but I use it extensively in stands, boxes, cases and components, mostly as base and foundation parts. It takes staining well, carves fairly good, and is a moderately strong, dense wood. It's also used in furniture, flooring, and joinery.
