Butternut wood

[Kessik221]

I recently acquired a large chunk of butternut and I've never worked with it before. I've worked raw wood from my property before, cutting it into thick slabs and then drying it in my oven, then sanding flat, however that has been mostly ash maple and birch. Whats the best way to proceed with this one? How workable will it be? is it prone to splitting or cracking? Thanks for looking.

 

[Geoff Flato]

Butternut is similar to walnut, but a bit softer and a bit lighter color. Personally I'd stabilize it

 

[lanternnate]

I messed with some unstabalized that I got as scrap from a woodworker. I had a lot of issues with grain tear out, so Geoff’s guidance to stabilize first seems prudent. I made an effort to fill in with tung oil, but in the end I binned the knife.

 

[Greenberg Woods]

I would say unless its well figured dont even both. Butternut is a like a softer, paler walnut and if it doesnt ha e any figure its going to make a really boring handle

 

[scott.livesey]

it is very nice wood, easy to work with very sharp tools. takes a nice finish, especially satin polyurethane or a finishing oil like TruOil. all stabilizing will do is double the weight of good wood. treat it like the maple or birch.

 

[MBB]

It's an excellent wood for carving if the grain is true, but like most carving woods, it's soft as crap.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Good for carving and some furniture projects ... but IMHO, not so good for knife handles.

 

[mete]

Here we often call it 'white walnut ' and obviously the two are related .Haven't worked with it to know if it would make handles for knives.