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What's Your Favorite Wood for Knife Handles?

There is so many different types of wood for knife handles now days I was wondering if there is one that's favored more than all the rest. My favorite is Dessert Ironwood but there is alot of others that are so nice.

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In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on August 8, 2011 at 18:30: Luca, there are knives that seem to speak to me also, ones that seem to soar above the rest. There is so many that I like it makes it hard to choose a favorite. I always seem to go with the denser and darker woods that have a mellow swirl that just seems to sooth my soul. I guess that's why I favor Dessert Ironwood. I have some in other flavors though and will probably shop around forever.

Comment by Luca Vignelli on August 8, 2011 at 18:26: Oh, and I forgot to say that I am a wood man. I prefer wood handles over any other, period, and variety is the spice of life.

Comment by Luca Vignelli on August 8, 2011 at 18:11: Ebony for me, and the blacker the better, like Gabon, would be my first choice. Second choice would be a highly figured snakewood, any darker Burlwood a third choice, Cocobolo in fourth place, and a Rosewood fifth. In the lighter, blonder shades, I find Boxwood is really very nice. One of my favorite things to do when purchasing a knife, which happens to be one of my favorite things to do but that's besides the point, and especially grueling, is to pick which one out of the knives in front of me of any given handle material is MY knife, the one that speaks to me, and that is the pleasure I find in the variety and deep individuality of wooden handles. Sometimes they're not perfect just like me... Despite the way I started this reply, do I really have a favorite? No, I wouldn't notice one unless I had the other (total lie), or somebody else did and theirs was nicer (truth)... then I'd really notice!

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on August 8, 2011 at 17:18: Maple is a wood with so many types theres tiger, birds eye, burl and no telling how many more there is. I know they use it on custom gun stocks also. While we have maple down south, I think the one responsible for all this handle material is the tree and resulting wood from up north. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Comment by Alexander Noot on August 8, 2011 at 6:20: A couple of my favourites so far are Cocobolo, Gabon Ebony (there are many types of ebony, I've also worked with Mun ebony which was nice but not as nice as Gabon), yellowheart, Maple burl.

Comment by Jan Carter on August 7, 2011 at 10:20: I like the burls also. Cocobolo can be wonderful but the colors are so wide on it that I feel it shows best on the larger knives. Bubinga is truley a favorite for me, It has a rich color all it's own

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on August 6, 2011 at 14:08: I've only seen pictures James, looks real nice though. I think the denser a wood is the more it cost, is that right?