Desert Ironwood??

[Northwest29]

Greetings all,

I have just seen some knife slab material, which is just beautiful, "Desert Ironwood", and expensive. I'm wondering 1) how this wood is to 'work' and what if any health hazards may be involved, 2) is there a chance of this becoming an endangered species based on it being slow growing and having a rather small geographical area where it grows?

Any info you can provide will be greatly appreciated -

Ron

[DaveL]

Desert Ironwood is a wonderful handle material. No need to be stabalized and it is just outstanding beauty. I think you will love it. It has been used for generations in Mexico for items and I don't think there is much danger of it being endangered, at least that I have heard.

[boatbuilder]

I had a friend down in Mexico at a wedding and the people he was staying at were building a deck on there house and were using desert ironwood. They were throwing away enough pieces for me to build knives for the rest of my life. He was able to bring some pieces home and is it ever nice wood.

[Shankmaker]

I have never used it but have seen it on enough knives to know it looks great. I plan on getting some real soon.

[Andrew Garrett]

you can find plenty on ebay at resonable prices.

[TexasJack]

Desert Ironwood doesn't have any health hazards other than the 'normal' hazard associated with breathing dust. (You may be thinking of cocobolo - another beautiful wood - as some people are very allergic to the dust.)

It is absolutely one of the best materials to work with. The figuring is so dramatic that you really need to spend a little time trying to decide how you are going to arrange it on the handle. Try to take advantage of the natural curves in the wood.

Expect to spend some serious time sanding - and use very fine sandpaper for the finishing work.

It's one of the few woods I've seen 'graded'. There are big price differences based on the quality of the figuring. I have yet to see an ugly piece of ironwood.

[NJStricker]

There are bans in some areas on cutting live trees because they are becoming rare (although there are several species sometimes advertised and sold as "ironwood." There are a lot of Mexican imports where enforcement is less rigorously enforced, but the Sonoran desert is the only place where true desert ironwood is found.

[Andrew Garrett]

What Jack said about arranging the figuring to fit the knife. If you do this correctly, you can make it look like the wood was forged to shape along with the tang.

[Andrew Garrett]

I just bought two sets off scales that are about 85% - 90% solid black! Very cool!

[David Broadwell]

Ron,

Ironwood is a great wood to work. It is hard and dense, and I've found it to be dimensionally stable. It won't take a finish other than to pile layers up on top, and it won't really take the stabilization process. That's fine, as it doesn't really need it. I sand to a level above 600 grit and lightly buff with a sewn buff and fine white compound. Occasionally you will find small voids or cracks. Just fill them with super glue or epoxy, and if they are open enough you can mix some sawdust in. Like some other species of wood it can oxidize with time and turn black, even though there was no black to begin with. Wax will help slow it, but I don't think it will stop it. I know of no health risks. I just evacuate the dust, which I do for all the other dust I create. Since it is hard and on the dry side it can scorch when you grind it, especially on the end grain. Just take it slow and easy.

A couple of years ago the Mexican government decided that ironwood was an endangered species and banned the use and exportation of it. Americans were crossing the border south of Arizona and New Mexico and buying it from the local indians, which gave them a large chunk of their livelihood. Now those poor indians are. . . just poorer. They weren't cutting new trees, just using the old stuff that had died and fallen, but you know what happens when a government gets involved! This inflated the price of ironwood, almost doubling it for the very good stuff. While I used to pay around $35 for a block or scales at the "A" grade, I'm now paying around $60, give or take. And it's harder to find this grade. There are two main sellers on ebay, along with other occasional sellers. One has what I call mediocre ironwood, but the other guy usually has some nice scales, and if I ask him nicely he'll cut me a block of the good stuff. There are other good sellers also, but you have to catch them when they have the good stuff cut. It gets snatched up quickly.

David

[Northwest29]

Thank you all -

I greatly appreciate you're taking the time to reply and provide such good information. I will check eBay and other places and try using this great looking wood for knife slabs. Should be an interesting experience for sure - Again, thank you.

[DaveRuhlig]

We have a tree here in FL that most call Australian Pine, but is also known as Ironwood. It's actually considered invasive here and illegal to grow/harvest, etc. - not because of the rareity, but because the FL gov't doesn't want any more of it. It looks just like the desert ironwood I've seen and is ridiculously hard! You can find huge pieces around the shore lines especially after a good storm.
-Dave

[Jim Dannels]

Originally Posted by DaveRuhlig

We have a tree here in FL that most call Australian Pine, but is also known as Ironwood. It's actually considered invasive here and illegal to grow/harvest, etc. - not because of the rareity, but because the FL gov't doesn't want any more of it. It looks just like the desert ironwood I've seen and is ridiculously hard! You can find huge pieces around the shore lines especially after a good storm.
-Dave

That's interesting Dave. Have you used any of it for slabs and how does it look??
I think every region of the country has a wood known as IronWood.
Here in Iowa it is Osage Orange, not native to Iowa. But pioneers prized it so highly for fence posts(rot resistant, there are posts in the ground older than me and still solid) they brought it with them, untill farmers started dozing off everything in site in the 70's every farmsted had a grove of hedge(Osage Orange). Like you say it's almost considered a noxious weed now.

[DaveRuhlig]

Originally Posted by Jim Dannels

Have you used any of it for slabs and how does it look??
I think every region of the country has a wood known as IronWood.

I haven't used it yet, but I did grab a chunk last time I went camping out on one of the intercoastal islands. It was pretty old and grey on the outside. Here's a little random 1-2" piece I cut out of the chunk - sanded to 400 and hit with the buffer.

As far as every region having an "Ironwood" - I agree. I've heard the old woodworkers tale that any wood that sinks gets the nickname Ironwood. I don't know if it's true, but I do know this stuff sinks like a rock!
-Dave

[Jim Dannels]

I like that! should make into some nice knives.