Monday, March 16, 2015

Selecting The Best Wood For Knife Handles

By Zelma Hurley


From the time that the knife as a tool was invented wooden handles have always been chosen. Even in the modern age when there are so many materials that can be used as a handle. Some of them include plastic, ivory and even bone. The only characteristic it has to bear is a firm grip. Some people opt for customized handles since they make them feel special for having something that is unique. Some others want to express their creativity and that is why they customize wood for knife handles by themselves. It can be much fun to work on it as a project.

It usually is the most common material that is used to make knives. Apart from the knives it has been used on many other tools even used to make the wheel of a ship. What makes it a favorite among many is that it is warm to touch and very comfortable to hold. Apart from that it is also organic and this is preferred to the plastics that are inorganic. It is also very durable and can be long lasting hence give you more years of service.

There are many varieties that one might use in the making of the handles. There are three main types; they are hardwood, softwoods and plain wood. The hardwood is more preferred since it usually is denser of all the three and the most resistant to penetration. This is where it got its name from, hardwood.

Apart from is class, there are many other reasons that would make one to purchase a knife with a wooden handle. People with taste like having things that will serve them for a longer while and they do not have to keep changing from time to time. This is why they go for the hardwood and it remains as the standard for knife handles.

One might be tempted to think that any part of the trunk can be used to make the handle. This is not the case since different parts have different characteristics that make them stand out. The heartwood is the one that is used to build the handle since the substance that makes it is usually very resistant to decay unlike the sapwood. Sapwood is usually different even in appearance to the hardwood. It is normally lighter in color and this is a very notable characteristic.

There are some qualities that a good wooden handle should have. One of them is that it should be durable and long lasting. These mean that it should not chip or splinter. It should also be smooth to the hand while at the same time have a fine polish.

One of the down sides of using wood is its organic nature. Just like all organic materials they usually expand when they are subjected to high levels of temperatures. With the expansion and the contraction of it makes the handle loose and it will need replacement.

Some people tend to choose the darker colored woods since they believe that they are the hardest and most durable. This is a common misconception since there are some light in color but are just as hard and durable.




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