Exotic Wood Handle
Types for Knives
African
Blackwood is an exceptionally dense, very hard wood that works
well and needs no finish. It is a rich dark brown with contrasting
tan to set off the figure. Weighs 82 lbs. per cubic foot.
Arizona
Ironwood is a rich golden brown wood with strong chocolate brown
to black figure. It is very heavy, hard, oily, and finishes to a
smooth satin finish. It makes a beautiful presentation knife when
paired with gold or brass hardware. The best grades, i.e. figure
and color, come from deep in the Mexican Sonoran desert and are
becoming very scarce. Supplies are dwindling and prices increasing.
The presentation grades are the most beautiful of all woods. Weighs
68 lbs. per cubic foot.
Bloodwood
is brilliantly colored wood and, as the name implies, is a rich
deep red with undertones of purple, but very little figure. It is
not as dense and heavy as some other woods, but is free from warpage
and shrinkage. Weighs 60 lbs. per cubic foot.
Bocote
is a yellow to brown with black stripes. Often highly figured with
eyes. Appears oily with a medium luster. Hard and heavy. Takes a
natural polish. Found in Mexico and Central America. Weighs 50-60
lbs. per cubic foot.
Brazilian
Rosewood is a heavy, dense wood that is naturally oily and needs
no sealer. Color varies from light rose to dark violet with irregular
black stripes. It grows in Brazil and varies greatly in color, depending
on the area in which it is grown. Weighs 47-56 lbs. per cubic foot.
Cocobolo
one of the most colorful woods available, varies from red to black,
gold and yellow. It is imported from panama, Cost Rica and Nicaragua.
The dust resulting from sawing and sanding is hazardous to those
who are allergic to it. A good mask should be worn while processing.
Despite this problem, it is one of the all time favorites for knife
handles. Very durable. Weighs 60-77 lbs. per cubic foot.
Ebony
exists in many varieties, varying from black (from Gabon, Central
West Africa and Ceylon) to black streaked with yellow and yellowish
brown (from East India). All ebony is hard and dense, and, as a
result, is durable and takes a very fine polish. We also have Macassar
Ebony which is black striped with grey-tan. Weighs 50-75 lbs. per
cubic foot.
Honduras
Rosewood is another variety of the rosewood family with the
same characteristics. It is heavy, hard and has some natural oil.
Honduras varies from a light tan to a light purple in color, generally
lighter than Brazilian. It grows in Honduras and weighs 56-68 lbs.
per cubic foot.
Kingwood
is a dense, hard wood with blue to purple figure-either a highly
figured pattern or closely spaced lines, depending upon the way
it is cut. This wood is imported from Mexico. Weighs 75 lbs. per
cubic foot.
Madrone
Burl color is light pink to reddish brown. Highly figured with
eyes or a beautiful flame pattern. Fine texture and takes a nice
polish. Comes from Northwestern U.S.A. Weighs 45-50 lbs. per cubic
ft.
Maple
(Bird's-eye, Curly, and Fiddleback) are all white or cream to light
brown in color. Bird's-eye has small eyes scattered throughout the
surface. Curly has wavy lines that make shell pattern or parallel
curving lines depending on the direction in which is sawed. Fiddleback
possesses parallel lines of wavy grain from 1/8" to 1/4"
apart. All of these figures can be enhanced by staining and sanding.
The stain penetrates into the figure more deeply than does the surrounding
area. The result is a darker figure against a very tight background.
Weighs 45 lbs. per cubic foot.
Padauk
is a dense, easy working wood that is rich red to orange-red with
alternate layers of hard and soft open grain. It is a beautiful,
exotic wood highly prized because of its coloration. When exposed
to light, this wood becomes a rich brown with red undertones. Weighs
45 lbs. per cubic foot.
Pink
Ivory is one of the rare and more expensive woods that is found
in South Africa. it is bright pink to pale red, very dense and hard.
The texture is very fine and takes a beautiful high polish. This
wood is stocked based on availability, which is sporadic, so its
price fluctuates. Weighs 70 lbs. per cubic foot.
Purpleheart
or Amaranth originates in Mexico, Central america, Brazil, and British
Guyana. It is dull brown in color which turns to a deep purple upon
exposure to air. It has little figure, even texture, hard and heavy,
and works well. It must be sealed. Weighs 65 lbs. per cubic foot.
Snakewood
is native to British Guyana and South America. It has a reddish-brown
tone with irregular black speckles or stripes. this wood is often
called leopardwood. It has a fine texture and takes a beautiful
finish. It is a very rare and expensive wood. The availability this
wood is also sporadic and our prices vary with shipments. Weighs
75-84 lbs. per cubic foot.
Thuya
Burl is golden red with shades of brown burls. It is moderately
hard and heavy. It works well with tools and polishes to a fine
luster. It is relatively rare and therefore expensive, but well
worth the price. It is imported from Algeria and Morocco. Availability
dictates size and price of this wood. Weighs 42 lbs. per cubic foot.
Tulipwood
is a very colorful Brazilian hard wood with striking mauve, violet
or rose-red stripe contrasted by creamy yellow. It is a strong,
dense wood that is not particularly easy to work. It attains a high
natural polish. It is very suitable for knife handles. This wood
tends to darken when exposed to light but retains a rosy hue. Weighs
60 lbs. per cubic foot.
Wenge
color is dark brown to black with fine black veining. Hard and heavy.
Coarse texture but works easily. Comes from Congo Brazzaville and
Zaire. Weighs 60 lbs. per cubic foot.
[Top]
[More Articles]
|