Just sharing some beautiful walnut I got from Mr. BH.

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i.keenum

i.keenum

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Got this in a trade I did a while back with BlackHorse.Wanted to show off the grain on the wood he sent.

This was right before the final polish but I believe this was at 600 grit. After the final polish the wood absolutely glowed. It is a big guthook I did for a co-worker.

The man really knows how to pick his wood. :lol!:





 
Thank you again! I was actually able to cut one scale into two for that handle and now have the other one still , so will still get some further use out of it. Thanks again for adding that piece in, a lot of people go for bright colors but I really appreciate the beauty of just the natural color of wood. It had a nice red , tan, and brown color alternating stripes one way and the curly grain the other way.

I brought it up to 1200 then used johnsons paste wax and it absolutely shimmered. On a side not have you ever thought about saving the power from sanding / cutting copper and brass and rubbing it into the wood before you seal it? I'll notice that when I am doing the high sanding on the PINS that some times the super fine metal dust gets in the wood end grain and makes it shimmer, I've always wiped it off but have thought about rubbing it all over and sealing it.
 
I've not considered incorporating metal dust into a finish. I know of several tutorials that suggest adding wood dust to clear epoxy as a colorant, but not metals...no reason not to though. I would be concerned that anything added to a surface finish would either prevent a smooth finish or come off with use. Maybe that's why I've stayed away from 'sealants' for handle finishing in lieu of penetrating oils like Tung, which I prefer. The oils go into the wood and harden, which adds to their strength and cannot be rubbed off with normal use. Also, metals often oxidize over time and the glitter would turn to dark flecks instead of shiny ones...but perhaps the sealant would prevent that. Interesting though!

Over the years I've come to trust a good 30 minute clear epoxy for all my knife handle applications. If all surfaces are roughed well via heavy grit paper, sharp fine gouges or a fine, fine Dremel tip (dental cutting bits)...then cleaned/degreased with pure acetone...then clamped with moderate pressure (you don't want to squeeze out all the epoxy), you can't beat the epoxy for hold, look or longevity IMHO.
 
I've only used oils and waxes so far, Had to throw away the bottle of tung oil i had it was a old and was getting really gummy only had about 1/3 left. That stuff goes a long ways , at least for me.
 
Beautiful knife and workmanship. I just love Walnut. I have a couple of bass guitars with Walnut bodies that I can't get enough of playing.
 
Air is poison to Tung Oil (and others most likely). Put your oils in an air tight container and as you use it add marbles to the container to displace the air. When it gets gummy and opaque put it in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds. It will warm, clear and liquidize and be usable again. Swirling the marbles in the container will also mix the oil. Neat! Nothing wrong with replacing old stock though. Better that than a poor result on the wood.

Regarding Walnut...it's a classic wood and is very beautiful. It's not as hard as Maple, but does a fine job. The walnut on your knife handle is obviously an extremely fine grade of Claro. I also love the aroma of Walnut when working it. Takes me back to high school shop days.
 
Yes sir! That's got to be the best one you've made yet sir, she's a beauty!
 
Speaking of cool wood I hope d4klutz doesn't mind i post a pick of the handle i did for him a while back. It was a really nice piece of double dyed and stabilized maple burl if I remember correctly. still have a little of that to work with, think it would make a cool accent ring on a pipe.

 
i.keenum":mblqcndl said:
Speaking of cool wood I hope d4klutz doesn't mind i post a pick of the handle i did for him a while back. It was a really nice piece of double dyed and stabilized maple burl if I remember correctly. still have a little of that to work with, think it would make a cool accent ring on a pipe.

Click to expand...
That is gorgeous!!!!!
 
Just picked this up this morning...Curly Black Locust. My usual vendor on eBay whose outfit us just downstate from me. It's where I got the Walnut for IKeenum and where I pick up all the natural woods I use for knives.

This is pretty unique stuff. Should make some nice handles.


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The original post, beautiful. And a lot of other interesting stuff in this thread, thanks guys.
 
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