Cocobolo handles

[haydn]

i'v just bought a piece of Cocobolo to make a handle from, has anyone worked with this wood before and if so do you have a finished product i could see?

Haydn

[Crex]

Can't find a pic of a finished one right off, but wanted to caution you on grinding and sanding cocobolo and other woods. The dust can cause you mild to severe health issues depending on you individual body chemistry. People with moderate to severe reaction to poison ivy seem to have the same reaction to dust from cocobolo. Use precautionary measures.
Always wear a good filter mask when grinding woods, combined with a quality dust vacuum system is even better.
Wood finishes very nicely if sanded to 400 grit, steel wooled with 0000 wool and then buffed with tripoli. Seal with good wax. There are many other ways to do this but it works for me.

[TexasJack]

Cocobolo is beautiful stuff! Crex was right about the potential toxicity - it doesn't bother me at all, but I know guys that break out badly. Usually it happens when the dust mixes with sweat, so try to get the dust off of you as quick as you can.

Take the time to work into really fine grits as you finish the handle. It will make the beautiful grain really look great.

[cnccutter]

I love Cocobolo. on top of the above warnings, be forewarned that it will "age" the bright eye pooping grain and color that you will get right after working will subtly chance over time to a really rich deep color and the grain will tend to hide.

Erik

[WBE]

It darkens with age. What is beautiful today , may be near black a year or so later.

[Ed Caffrey]

I agree with everyone else....it's beautiful wood. I also agree with the toxicity! I'm one of those people! My very first knife had cocobolo scales.....Cindy came home from work and found me on the couch, wheezing, with my eyes swollen shut! After a night in the hospital, and a couple days of tests, they figured out it was the cocobolo! I can get it on my skin without issue, but if I inhale or get the dust in my mouth/nose, I have a severe reaction.

Finishing is easy.....take it down to 1200+ grit finish, then a light buff. DO NOT try to put any finish products on it....the wood has so much natural resin that most finishes will just bead up and run off.
The colors are rich with lots of depth, but as with most woods, UV light will oxidize the colors out over time...making the color deeper, and lessening the appearance of any figure.

[haydn]

Thank you for all the replies, and thank you for saving me a trip to the hospital!
I'll be sure to use a face mask while working the wood

[Eli Jensen]

As far as finish products. Mr. Caffrey is partially correct. I made some cocobolo nock inserts for some arrows and brain farted and polyurathaned them. It never ever cures on the cocobolo. The best you can hope for is to either take it off of rub something like sand on it to reduce the stickiness.

But I have had success with Watco Teak oil. Works great just let it cure for a few days. I use it more to bring out the grain than to protect it.

[metal99]

Have any of you guys tried filling the grain with anything on cocobolo?

[Eli Jensen]

Wet sand with oil. Dry. Repeat a couple times. Also seen it done with an epoxy/oil blend.

[BCROB]

I think the beauty in Cocobolo in the few I've done is el'naturel , just finished another , did nothing to it and the grain just looks beautiful. When I cut the 1.5'' block into scales , the contrast from both scales is amazing , you would of thought the scales were from 2 different blocks........

[metal99]

I have some cocobolo scales just chillin out in my handle material box, maybe I will use them on the next knife I do

[dbalfa]

heres a couple pics....im not a photographer

[metal99]

Sure looks good on that blade man!