Thread: Help choosing type of wood

Hello gents,

Today I was talking to a wood craftsman near my home and I challenged him to make me a set of scales in wood based on the TI that I have. He liked the idea and started asking me what kind of wood I'd want him to use.
Heck, I don't know! I told him I don't understand much about wood, but I told him that a good wood for a straight razor should be hard, water-proof and beautiful.
He mentioned some types of wood from Brazil, but he says they're expensive.
What do you typically use to build a nice set of scales?
I was thinking asking him to make me a very dark (almost black) set of scales, something very similar to the Wengé wood.
Do you think it's better to him to use some kind of durable wood (which one?) and paint it several times to achieve the color I want?

Thank you for your opinions.

Definitely don't paint it. Pick a type of wood that's naturally dark and have him use a finish that will accentuate its qualities instead of covering them up. Ebony maybe?

Almost any type of wood can be used if it is properly sealed to resist moisture.

Rosewood is a nice, dense, oily wood so it doesn't need much sealing etc. Burl woods like Claro Walnut are beautiful if they are reinforced (epoxy/fillers/liners, sometimes they are too brittle to be used on their own).

Look up "wood scales" or "knife scales" on the internet and you're bound to find more options than you ever wanted to choose between.

Many wood species are fine to make scales. Since the wood needs to be coated with some durable finish, natural durability is not much of an issue. Hardness may be more of importance, but even that can be coped with by the type of finishing.
From an environmental and cultural viewpoint, a lot can be said in favor of native species.
Some people don't like altering the natural color of wood, but if the final result looks great, I always wondered what the big deal about that was.

Some woods can be burnished to a rich, very dark color, before being finished. Olivewood works great for that.

Another very attractive wood species growing in Portugal is Taxus. It has a strong contrast between sapwood and heartwood, something that allows for neat design effects.
Image:Taxus wood.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Just a few random thoughts on the subject...
Kind regards,
Bart.

Check ebay, under the crafts, wood working section. You can get all types of exotic woods for cheap. I spent $25 and bought Bocote, Teak, Kowa, and Black Palm, enough to make at least 4 sets of scales each. That comes out to around $1.50 per set of scales.

Nice ...


Back to the post ...

I would think a hardwood would be a good standard choice .. Ebony .. maybe walnut.

Personally, I always liked the look of Lacewood.

Maybe Teak ...?

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