Re: "Wood" You Show Us Your Wood?
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:33 pm
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http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?t=36337
Beautiful old knife, JKB! Any idea of the age of that one? I have a whittler from what looks like the same era..Jacknifeben wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 1:19 am Here is my wood Cattaraugus 32206G cattle knife. FOR CUTTING FLESH ONLY on the spey blade, round shield for punch blade. Don’t think has ever been sharpened.
Beautiful wood and beautiful knife! Great article!! Thank you.QTCut5 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:05 am A little more Osage orange, aka Bois d'arc, with a slightly different color...and a bit of interesting history gleaned from the interweb for the hardcore woodworkers, xylophiles and dendrophiles among us
IMG_E1094.JPGS&M Osage 51T.jpgS&M #51T.jpg
In early geologic time there were many species of the Osage orange family. Today, however, it stands alone as the only tree in the world that is the sole species in a genus.
Fossils indicate that Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) once grew naturally well outside its native range of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri, and Arkansas. Then it retreated, perhaps ahead of advancing glaciers. Thousands of years later, because it was cultivated and planted by settlers as inexpensive fencing, it once again spread. Now, you may even find Osage orange growing in the eastern states and well into the Great Plains.
Wherever Osage orange grew, it had many a use. At one time, a Plains Indian brave would gladly trade a horse and blanket for a bow made of the wood. The reputation of such bows spread widely from the land of their makers-the Osage Indians of Arkansas and Missouri. Bows of this hard, strong wood even were found by explorers in use as far north as Montana. That's why in many parts of the nation the wood carries the name bois d'arc, French for wood of the bow. Americanized, the term becomes bowdark.
Harder and stronger than even white oak, Osage orange was once cut for railroad ties. While other woods for ties lasted but a few years, Osage orange served for 20! And many a Midwestern farm still has fence posts of the wood in place after a century.
Because of Osage orange's hardness and durability, it often was used for wagon wheels. Highly decay-resistant, it was even laid as paving blocks. In today's world, however, the wood is scarce as lumber. Yet sanded smooth and oiled, Osage orange beats all others for cutting boards that will stand up to a blade.
https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials- ... age-orange
The thing with Cocobolo the older it gets the more it oxidizes and the darker it gets. I have cocobolo that I've had for over 10 years that is very dark. And I have newer cut cocobolo that is very orange. So that wood on that knife can very possibly be Cocobolo. And again it can be ebony too, it's just very hard to tell by the picture. I have used many many board feet of Cocobolo in my career and it's always different. I have a 5 ft billet of Cocobolo right now that is extremely dark. You wouldn't think it was Cocobolo by looking at it unless you really knew your woods. I'd rather Cocobolo on a knife as Ebony, especially Gabon Ebony can crack easily. Cheers.toomanyknives wrote: ↑Thu Sep 28, 2023 3:23 amTwo classics! Beautiful, Dan! I think that Camillus may be ebony. Cocobolo looks more streaked and a bit lighter. This one is cocobolo..IMG_2105 (2).JPG
You are quite right about the variation, Mike. I have seen Rosewood that looks as black as ebony also. I'm in the guitar business, so I agree totally with what you are saying. It is very tough to tell from a picture sometimes.Mr Mike wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2024 3:14 amThe thing with Cocobolo the older it gets the more it oxidizes and the darker it gets. I have cocobolo that I've had for over 10 years that is very dark. And I have newer cut cocobolo that is very orange. So that wood on that knife can very possibly be Cocobolo. And again it can be ebony too, it's just very hard to tell by the picture. I have used many many board feet of Cocobolo in my career and it's always different. I have a 5 ft billet of Cocobolo right now that is extremely dark. You wouldn't think it was Cocobolo by looking at it unless you really knew your woods. I'd rather Cocobolo on a knife as Ebony, especially Gabon Ebony can crack easily. Cheers.toomanyknives wrote: ↑Thu Sep 28, 2023 3:23 amTwo classics! Beautiful, Dan! I think that Camillus may be ebony. Cocobolo looks more streaked and a bit lighter. This one is cocobolo..IMG_2105 (2).JPG
Wow!
Lot of great info in there. Thank you. I have a laminated cutting board that accepts moisture and it seeps through the seams. About time to retire it. Wanted to make a better one for the other half that doesnt leak through when using for wet stuff. Osage might be the ticket, I will see if I can locate a piece that works. Great tip, thanks again.QTCut5 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:05 am A little more Osage orange, aka Bois d'arc, with a slightly different color...and a bit of interesting history gleaned from the interweb for the hardcore woodworkers, xylophiles and dendrophiles among us
IMG_E1094.JPGS&M Osage 51T.jpgS&M #51T.jpg
In early geologic time there were many species of the Osage orange family. Today, however, it stands alone as the only tree in the world that is the sole species in a genus.
Fossils indicate that Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) once grew naturally well outside its native range of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri, and Arkansas. Then it retreated, perhaps ahead of advancing glaciers. Thousands of years later, because it was cultivated and planted by settlers as inexpensive fencing, it once again spread. Now, you may even find Osage orange growing in the eastern states and well into the Great Plains.
Wherever Osage orange grew, it had many a use. At one time, a Plains Indian brave would gladly trade a horse and blanket for a bow made of the wood. The reputation of such bows spread widely from the land of their makers-the Osage Indians of Arkansas and Missouri. Bows of this hard, strong wood even were found by explorers in use as far north as Montana. That's why in many parts of the nation the wood carries the name bois d'arc, French for wood of the bow. Americanized, the term becomes bowdark.
Harder and stronger than even white oak, Osage orange was once cut for railroad ties. While other woods for ties lasted but a few years, Osage orange served for 20! And many a Midwestern farm still has fence posts of the wood in place after a century.
Because of Osage orange's hardness and durability, it often was used for wagon wheels. Highly decay-resistant, it was even laid as paving blocks. In today's world, however, the wood is scarce as lumber. Yet sanded smooth and oiled, Osage orange beats all others for cutting boards that will stand up to a blade.
https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials- ... age-orange