Exotic Wood Handle & Inlay 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.

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