I am about to use my first set of snakewood handles. What is the best way to bring the finish out on this particular wood?

Bob, I fine-sand up through 1000 grit, buff lightly, and then apply Johnson's paste floor wax or Renaissance wax. It's very dense wood, and doesn't seem to darken with use as much as many other unstabilized woods do. I would avoid any kind of surface finish (lacquer, varnish, etc,), since it can chip off an really detract from the appearance.

Handsand to 800-1200.. Wipe with danish oil on a rag to get dust of. Polish with rough/fine grit for wood. Finish with kanauberwax (polished on)

Just got the knife that was featured in TK back last week. It´s been 10 months since I made it and it looks like new even after some use.

Sounds like virtually the same process that I use.

Have you had any problems with it splitting? I've done two handles with it and they both have split. One I had left in my truck not thinking how hot it would get in the afternoon. I've got two pieces that I spent $50. a piece for and I'm afraid to use them.

Without knowing exactly how the knife was put together, it's difficult to analyze what went wrong. However... no wood will respond well to temperature and humidity extremes.

Another factor is the method used for assembly. If, for example, you used pins to attach the scales, and then peened the pins to spread them out into the holes, that is a split waiting to happen.

Funny, I had forgotten I'd posted something here, I've already experienced the peen splittng and don't do that no more. This one I'm sure had split from the heat in my truck. Last one I was working on and I had not even been fastened to the handle and split, I could have sworn I heard it. Told the gut at Gilmore Woods no more snakewood for me. Did buy a chunk of bloodwood. Anybody have any experience with it?

Re: Raymond Richard's Posts on Snakewoood: Sounds like your snakewod may not have been dry enough. Any very dense hard wood like snake wood ought to go in a drying cabinet after purchase with ends sealed for a year at least. Many woods are left in large pieces at wood suppliers and cut when time allows. Handle blocks from ends may be much drier than ones from the center. The wood may have been considered dry, but the individual blocks will take time to climatize, and may have stresses built into them that only time will show.

I have had some luck with stabilizing snakewood. It isn't
so much that the snakewood absorbs a lot of chemical the
way Buckeye Burl or some of the other softwoods do, but
the process will stop the Snakewood from moving. I have
also tried dipping the knife handle after completion into the
stabilizing chemicals and hanging to dry. If there is a hairline crack or a stress split getting ready to start this will help stop it.

If you already have a snakewood handle that has started to crack, you can mix 5 minute epoxy with dark cherry
anniline water soluble dye powder and apply to the crack. You might want to do this twice to be sure the crack is completely covered, then sand the surface with 400g wet n dry to even out the application, then go to your fine grits and finish up with wax or whatever sealer you normally use.

Judith Mattart - THE LUMBERLADY
Exotic Woods from the Mountains and Deserts of the World
www.lumberlady.com (http://www.lumberlady.com)
mailto:hardwood@digitaldune.net
write for free knife materials catalog

Welcome to the CKD, Judith- glad to see you posting here! I have enjoyed looking at your site. Come back often!

We need to get both Martin and Judith registered. I want to get those CKD shirts and hats :)

Welcome folks. We're glad to have you at the forums.