Knife scales from regular unstabalized wood

[Gabe Rathe]

I am new to the forum.  I don't know if there was a post or thread already on the issue of why there is such a push for stabilized wood scales only.  I guess it'd be an attitude toward people using unstabilized wood for scales.  I don't have an issue with any of the knives I've made or used in my lifetime.  I actually like the feel of the unstabilized wood over the stabilized.  I spent a lot of time researching what to use on the wood and found a few recipes and use the most logical.  I recently asked a friend of mine about it and he only uses wood scales and has a knife passed down from generations that still has unstabilized wood handle.  I like the cherry handle I used, maple, poplar, and I recently used a piece of oak.  The oak reminds me of working with wood when I was little with my Grandpa.  

[Jerrod Miller]

The general impression I get from the posts here on this forum is that stabilization is only necessary when the structural integrity of the material is in question (some figured woods will almost fall apart on their own, but they sure look pretty) or when working conditions are especially severe (e.g. saltwater).  Otherwise most people here seem happy to just seal things up with a good "topical" finish.  

[Geoff Keyes]

I use stabilized woods on my kitchen knives.  It's a harsh environment and they get a lot of use.  Burls tend to be crumbly so a stabilized burl is better IMHO.  My two favorite woods are Osage and Sonora Ironwood (which is also a wood I hate, but for other reasons).  Neither need very much finish.  I got to use a knife I gave to a friend that they have been using as a kitchen knife.  The Osage handle has turned a deep rich brown with just a buffed carnauba wax surface and a lot of hand oils and cooking fats.  In my experience, for whatever that is worth, most other woods need to be sealed.

Knives change over time.  The steel surface ages, other metals oxidize, woods and other organic materials age and change.  I like that (or I have come to like it) and I expect it.

 

There is a Stradivarius violin (the Messiah, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) that has never been played.  It would be interesting to compare that to one of the others, just to see what 300 years of wear looks like against a nearly untouched surface.

 

g

[Jaro Petrina]

Most of my knives has natural wood scales, it works and work in the past. The only thing would be fishing or kitchen knife or a knife to other special environment as Geoff says.

 

 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Mixed feelings on this subject......

Recently inspected a cleaver doing long term testing at a butchery, handle is a local wood and it seems to be holding up great.
I have a little paring knife with hidden tang and book marked Ebony scales, I severely mistreated this knife in my own kitchen, and eventually it started splitting on the glue line.
The level of abuse would mean this is not a warranty claim if I'd sold the knife, and as far as function is concerned I squirted some superglue in the crack and closed it up in the vice.  Going strong.
Then there's the Tramontina bait knives we grew up with, no idea what wood they use(d) but it cracked and warped, for the most part still did their job until the knife was completely done.
At the last market I attended I was packing out my knives, wiping down the blade on a big chefs knife I heard a "tick" noise like something cracking of glue letting go.
Handle is a micarta bolster, Camelthorn spacer cross grain, then Rosewood with the pin securing it to the tang.
I checked that handle under magnification and couldn't find a crack.
The Rosewood is dependable, the micarta bulletproof so I'm not too worried, but still not a good feeling.

 

[Geoff Keyes]

I like micarta, but except for spacers, I hardly ever use it.  Every time I start to, I have an argument with myself and go to some "natural" material.  Except for kitchen knives, and even there, I like something that looks natural.

 

I'm pretty sure I posted this last week, but I made a Kephart inspired camp knife and I used Ipe for the handle.  Ipe ( at least the stuff I've seen) doesn't have the eye grabbing character that I want on a piece, and yet....  I think it turned out really well.  The interesting thing that I saw, having it on a table, it's so understated that hardly anyone looked at it.  Ipe is another wood that hardly needs any finish.

 

Geoff

[Kreg Whitehead]

I have made a handful of blades this year. I may edit in a pic however I doubt you can see the issue.

I got some bolivian rosewood and was told stabilizing would be a waste of time because it was too oily and there was just no need for it.

I made 2 stainless blades with the exact same piece of wood less than a month ago.

Only one has shrunk.

To each his own but I wont be selling any knives in the future that arent stabilized.

 

Edited March 22 by Kreg Whitehead

[Gabe Rathe]

Thank you for all the responses from your experiences.  All the knives you have showed look beautiful.  I live in TN and just enjoy the process of imagining pattern and making it.  I enjoy using the base materials to keep costs down in creation.  I've watched many videos on stabilized wood and pretty sure I canake it.  But not sure at this point in my knife making it would warrant me spending the time or money.  I did a bunch of research and found for me this far a recipe of wax, boiled linseed oil and cut with a thinning agent.  I don't remember the recipe cause I made a quart of it.  Got it from the University of Wisconsin agriculture department.  I can find it if you're interested.  

 

I have just started using liners; but so far I have only used brass or copper.  So far with natural wood they hold up fine.  I fully expected that the natural wood would separate because of the moisture/temperature rate differences. 

 

This one I used a square and round brass pin with natural cherry wood.  I also check through my knives and reapply when necessary.  What I read is everyday for a week and once a week for a month or so then as necessary.

[Doug Lester]

If I find a wood that needs to be stabilized, no matter how pretty it looks, I look for another wood.  An exception to that might a nice piece of burl wood.  I share Geoff's opinion of Osage Orange (the North American variety).  It's not exactly fancy and it's not exactly plain but it oxidizes to a russet brown with a deep luster.  That wood has been used for fence posts that stood up for decades.

 

Doug

[Joshua States]

 

[Don Abbott]

As long as you are doing wood-only handles, you can get by with well seasoned wood.

 

But when you work for hours to get that perfect fit to a bolster, butt, or spacer (like Kreg's above), any bit of shrink can ruin it.

 

1/1000" creep on the knife in your picture won't show, but on a seamless fit you will see it.

[Joël Mercier]

Heirloom fit to the rescue!