Black Locust as Handle?

B

Bob Lyon

Joined
Aug 11, 1999
Messages
69
After a big windstorm here in Maryland I came across a guy from a tree service who was removing a black locust tree that had become one with somebody's deck.
Seems that black locust is a very heavy wood and oily also. The grain looked nice, too. I thought these factors might qualify it for knife handles. Anyone tried this?

Bob

P.S. For you forgers, the guy also said that it "burns like coal" , very hot with little leftover ash. The one drawback is that the smoke smells like cat piss. Not something to look forward to every day.
 
it sound like if you use it your shop's gonna smell like cat piss. well anyway i don't have experience with black locust, the normal density of and knife handle wood is about 60-80 lbs per cubic foot, if you have the botanical name of it i can find it for you. by the way if anyone is interested snakewood is actually a harder wood than desert ironwood.
 
:
Bob:
The Cherokee used Black Locust heartwood for bows for many,many long years in the old times.It should be great for handles.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.

 
Black Locust according to the list of woods toxic to man is aN irritant and a sensitizer to both the eyes and the skin, with a potiency of +++ by way of the wood itself and the dust. As long as you take precautions you should be fine and it should turn out a very fine handle. For a listing of Woods Toxic to man as listed in the American Woodturner, June 1990 see www.oneida-air.com/toxic.htm origionally posted on rec.woodworking. Hope that this is of some help to all.

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Curtis Wilson -
Wilson's Custom Knives, Engraving, and Scrimshaw
 
sorry my book doesn't have it, you may want to get it stabalized, then it'll also be waterproof.
 
magnum,what about "box elder" and where does it grow in the U.S.? or where can i find this info on the web? DK

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Pretty nice,huh?
 
:
DK:
If I remember right the Box Elder is from the Maple family.It can be tapped for sugar,but takes a lot more because it isn't as sweet.
It is also a soft wood.I have a huge one right next to my house.I had one taken out last year.The wood is not much except for firewood.
There might be something around a knot or burlthat is pretty,but tat is true with almost all wood.Box Elder would definitely need to be stabalized. IMO.



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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.

 
The units are specific gravity. Greater than 1.0 will sink in water

Olneya tesota
(Desert Ironwood): 1.15
Guaiacum officinale)
(Lignum Vitae): 1.37
Cercocarpus betuloides
Mountain Mahogany: 1.10
Diospyros ebenum)
Ebony: 1.12
Very Heavy Wood
Prunus ilicifolia
Hollyleaf Cherry: 0.98
Diospyros virginiana
Persimmon: 0.83
Quercus engelmannii
Engelmann Oak: 0.94
Carya ovata
Shagbark Hickory: 0.83
Acacia greggii
Cat's Claw Acacia: 0.85
Ostrya virginiana
Eastern Ironwood: 0.80
Quercus chrysolepis
Canyon Live Oak: 0.85
Lyonothamnus floribundus
Catalina Ironwood: 0.80
Quercus agrifolia
Coast Live Oak: 0.83
Robinia pseudoacacia
Black Locust: 0.79
Prosopis glandulosa
Mesquite: 0.77
Maclura pomifera
Osage Orange: 0.77
Heavy Wood
Cornus nuttallii
Pacific Dogwood: 0.75
Carya illinoensis
Pecan: 0.72
Arbutus menziesii
Madrone: 0.71
Betula alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch: 0.69
Fraxinus velutina
Arizona Ash: 0.68
Quercus coccinea
Scarlet Oak: 0.67
Umbellularia californica
California Bay Tree: 0.65
Cercis canadensis
Redbud: 0.63
Quercus kelloggii
California Black Oak: 0.64
Tectona grandis
Teak: 0.63
Juglans californica
California Black Walnut: 0.63
Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple: 0.63
Medium Heavy Wood
Chilopsis linearis
Desert Willow: 0.59
Liquidambar styraciflua
Sweet Gum: 0.59
Cercidium floridum
Palo Verde: 0.55
Prunus serotina
Black Cherry: 0.56
Psorothamnus spinosus
Smoke Tree: 0.55
Acer saccharinum
Silver Maple: 0.53
Celtis reticulata
Western Hackberry: 0.53
Swietenia macrophylla
Honduras Mahogany: 0.51
Acer macrophyllum
Big-Leaf Maple: 0.50
Magnolia grandiflora
Southern Magnolia: 0.50
Soft Wood
Pinus ponderosa
Ponderosa Pine: 0.46
Sequoia sempervirens
Coast Redwood: 0.40
Calocedrus decurrens
Incense Cedar: 0.40
Picea engelmannii
Engelmann Spruce: 0.35
Pinus lambertiana
Sugar Pine: 0.36
Quercus suber
Cork Oak Bark: 0.24
Abies concolor
White Fir: 0.36
Ochroma pyramidale
Balsa: 0.17
 
Robinia pseudoacacia is an interesting tree. It's wood is very tough (hard to split) and is sometimes used making wheels (you know, the fancy oldtimer racecars with the wooden wheels). Be carefull when working it: my father broke two axe-handles trying to split a trunk ...

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dk, bow elder needs to be stabalized, most native woods do, it's worth alot for a native wood, you may not want to burn it, my book doesn't have that one either, it skipped right over it. alot of companyies sell it stabalized, but none unstabalized. sorry i couldn't be of much assistance.
 
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