mexican cordia wood

pmike5869 · Post by **pmike5869** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:27 pm

Just picked up some mexican cordia wood which looks like a good candidate for a rehandle project. Has anyone out there used this beautiful wood? It doesn't seem really dense as Ironwood or Ebony but the grain is beautiful.

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:45 pm

I have to agree. The grain is out standing.

Sorry I not know much about the wood.

What knife are you going to place the wood on ?

pmike5869 · Post by **pmike5869** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:54 pm

Thought I would either put it on one of my cheap Rough riders or Marbles. These knives are surprisingly well made for the 8-10 dollar price and display the rehandle well. However, I have yet to completely dissasemble one and that may be the next project if this wood is suitable. This would also give me the chance to try some file work. I love to look at the beautiful file work displayed here, particularly the imaginative work from MM. To try some of these would push me waaaaay over what I've done so far. Worried about the pin_thru_ the_ bolster mess though. Also I would have/like to do the scale-pin challenge. Just another mountain to climb, or 3.

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:54 pm

looks alot like mexican bocote, maybe a different name for it. I have used the bocote and find it fairly easy to work but in return it is fairly tough and durable as well. It polishes down really nice.

pmike5869 · Post by **pmike5869** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:55 pm

Thx for the reply, I'm off to see the lizard!!!

pmike5869 · Post by **pmike5869** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:01 pm

Which lizard? Why the wonderfullizardofoddsofcourseofcourse LOL
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:01 pm

Cordia is the Botanical Genus of several different species including Ziricote and Bocote. There are at least 40 species. That does look like Bocote. Easy to work with.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:32 pm

Gilmer Woods web site even lists Cordiawood as a common name for Bocote.

I had not paid any attention to that before.
Thanks for the info.

It is easy wood to work with and you end up with a nice finished product.
Be sure to show us pics of the knife when you are finished.

Dale

pmike5869 · Post by **pmike5869** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:36 pm

Man, that's really funny. I asked the guy selling this wood if he had ever heard of Ziricote. he said no. I settled for this stuff which looked like what I wanted. This is a good example of serendipidy. Paid 5 bucks for the 2 and was tickled. Damn the torpedoes!

Ringmaster · Post by **Ringmaster** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:42 pm

Wear your respirator, Pmike...

You don't know if you're allergic to the dust or not, until it's too late. Won't kill you, but you won't want to work with, for awhile.

Be sure to let us see the finished product !

Take Care,
JR

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:48 pm

Here is a picture of Bocote (an oily wood) next to Ziricote (also called landscape wood).
Some Botanical names for Bocote are Cordia elaegnoides, Cordia gerascanthus as more than 1 species is sold as Bocote.

Some commmon names for Bocote are Canaletta, Cordia, Cype, Freijo, Louro, Princewood, Solera, Salmwood, and very wrongly Ziricote.

Some more common names from another website are Anacahuite, Bocote, Bois de rose, Canalete, Cordia-Light American, Cupane, Ecuador laurel, Laurel, Laurel de costa, Laurel negro, Peterebi, Salmwood, and Siricote.

I enjoyed the searches, I do like wood.

I like to buy boards that are at least 2 inches thick, 3 and for inches thick if possible so I can custom cut the wood the way I like it.

The second picture is pieces of a 3 inch thick Bocote board I cut up. I cut it up for some tight grained pieces and some for a looser grain. If you just cut it up you can't help but to get different pieces. Be nice to have a log so that I could quarter saw for the tight grain (sides will have a loose grain).

The last pictures are of Black Palm and Spalted Mango that are being stabilized at WSSI and K&G and shold be back and ready to sell in 10 days I think.
I will have quite a bit to sell and will be doing so after I figure my costs. I may even open a knife handle store here at AAPK. I do have quite a few exotic pieces, many I have sold on ebay and will likely list some there also.

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:53 pm

Ringmaster wrote:Wear your respirator, Pmike...

You don't know if you're allergic to the dust or not, until it's too late. Won't kill you, but you won't want to work with, for awhile.

Be sure to let us see the finished product !

Take Care,
JR

I believe it's recommended for Bocote, thanks JR, I forgot that part. All stabilized woods wear that respirator also though I've seen stabilized bocote, I've seen the wood weep also. Not a good candidate for stabilization because of the oil in the wood.

pmike5869 · Post by **pmike5869** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:34 pm

Thx for the tip on the respirator. I never would have known about that 'til it caused me a problem, which could be too late to do anything about it. I do have asthma and I bet it would have made me miserable. Will post pics of the results but am waiting for some supplies from Texas knife makers supply.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:10 am

Here is a link to a list of toxic woods.

http://old.mendelu.cz/~horacek/toxic.htm#reference

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:26 am

Keep in mind that the list is by no means 100% complete. I know several that suffer from Desert Ironwood. I see cocobolo is on there as is black walnut. Black walnut is just murder on me. Doesn't make a difference if it is french walnut or claro walnut - I'm allergic to the stuff. But I have some great pieces of black walnut. Thanks for the list Dale!!!

Ringmaster · Post by **Ringmaster** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:12 am

That's a great list, Dale - Thanks ! I saved it, for easy reference.

I notice pecan's not on the list, I'm allergic to that - but that may just be me. Everybody's allergies are different, I suppose.

Neway, thanks again,

JR