Is dymalux made out of real wood or materials like resin etc.?

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Petar

Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
38
Hello everybody,

I'm sorry for dumb question,but I would like to know from what material is dymalux (cocobolo color) made of?
I have custom made handgun grips made out of it so I wanted to know a bit more about material used for them.
Is it the real wood,or does it at least contain some of the real wood materials,or is it made out of materials like resin?
Here is what I found on one site that sell various materials for grip makers:
''Dymalux is a natural wood material made with layers of dyed birch wood veneers laminated together and infused with resin.''

I know it says it's natural wood,but from what I read on forum,some members said it's just dyed resin that imitates wood,so I'm a bit confused.
So,can somebody confirm is it made out of real wood or not?

Kind regards,
Petar
 
yes its layers of real birch wood. thin layers like a plywood sort of. compressed and using an epoxy or resin type product to bind it together. then dyed to be a certain color to imitate a different wood or just to be colored.

I expect the not real wood is coming from they want and like solid pieces of wood species......vs. engineered plywood type made from wood..which is what this stuff is..make sense?
 
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jbmonkey said:
yes its layers of real birch wood. thin layers like a plywood sort of. compressed and using an epoxy or resin type product to bind it together. then dyed to be a certain color to imitate a different wood or just to be colored.

I expect the not real wood is coming from they want and like solid pieces of wood species......vs. engineered plywood type made from wood..which is what this stuff is..make sense?
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for explanation!
 
Petar said:
Hello everybody,

I'm sorry for dumb question,but I would like to know from what material is dymalux (cocobolo color) made of?
I have custom made handgun grips made out of it so I wanted to know a bit more about material used for them.
Is it the real wood,or does it at least contain some of the real wood materials,or is it made out of materials like resin?
Here is what I found on one site that sell various materials for grip makers:
''Dymalux is a natural wood material made with layers of dyed birch wood veneers laminated together and infused with resin.''

I know it says it's natural wood,but from what I read on forum,some members said it's just dyed resin that imitates wood,so I'm a bit confused.
So,can somebody confirm is it made out of real wood or not?

Kind regards,
Petar
Click to expand...

Cocobolo has been declining in supply for the past few years to the extent that some knifemakers can no longer offer it as a handle material. It's not surprising that alternative materials would be developed and used.

"Sustainability Status: “This wood species is in CITES Appendix II, and is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation.” – Wood-Database.com

Other References: IUCN RED LIST: Listed as vulnerable. RainforestRelief.org: On the list as coming from “Tropical Endangered Rainforests”

www.woodworkingnetwork.com

Hit list: Materials expert names 10 most endangered wood species | Woodworking Network

A design materials specialist says correlating top global databases identifies ten most threatened wood species, plus two more likely to join the list soon.
www.woodworkingnetwork.com www.woodworkingnetwork.com
 
Being a guitarist, with endorsements from Larrivee, Breedlove, & Lakewood, this move has been coming for more than two decades. I’m speaking solely for solid back and sides with a solid spruce top (of many species). Laminated examples are less scrutinized. The first to hit CITES Appendix II was Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra). Next was Madagascar Rosewood (Dalbergia maritima) and Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa). South American Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) will be next….if it hasn’t already happened yet.

Stump wood from the species named above is still allowed to a degree. Deforestation of the areas where these woods are harvested is very real.

Traveling abroad with these woods can get your item confiscated permanently from Customs unless extensive paperwork that supports its legal procurement is presented.

Martin Guitar has moved some of its line to Richlite fingerboards in lieu of ebony or Indian Rosewood. Richlite is in essence sawdust mixed with glue, very robust, but purists shun it.

I can see in the future knife companies who utilize wood handles moving to laminates or substances such as Richlite.
 
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The difficult part is figuring out if the wood being used is just died birch or layers of a specific wood.

The Cherrywood Buck uses for example has nothing to do with a cherry tree.

But in matters of functionality stability and longevity you can’t beat these handles.
 
Well yes, dymalux is made from both real wood and resin but not necessarily from the named species of wood. It is colored to have a similar effect to kinda loose like the species. I’ve read that Birch wood is generally used to make laminated wood for knife handles and gun grips.

But don’t confuse it with plywood, I’ve heard many people imply that they think it’s like building material plywood or a cheap way to make fake wood which is not the case.
Dymalux and other laminated materials are stabilized, very dense, very strong and very durable and withstand the elements and rough use much better than the natural wood that has a beautiful natural wood grain. Dymalux is impervious to water and many chemicals and isn’t effected by temperature or humidity. Where strength, durability and all weather use is required or desired, dymalux is one of the materials that excells in that regard.
 
not dymalux....... but I have a knife with similar laminated woods. (frogwood)
my knife was made for me by a maker here on BF.
The handle feels very wood-like, yet durable. as of now, I wouldn't hesitate to use it.
I'm going to look into This product more as I build my own knives......

FrogBlanks Dyed Laminated Wood Blanks for Turning

US Made Colored Birchwood laminated blanks for turning
frogblanks.com frogblanks.com
 
Hal said:
Great....Ikea makes knife scales now..... |roll eyes|...
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I'm lost with this comment this isn't new tech it is just brand name for a laminated, and often dyed, wood with resin bonder this material has been used by plenty of knife makers including Case & Buck for two fairly well respected makers as an example.
 
PirateSeulb said:
I'm lost with this comment this isn't new tech it is just brand name for a laminated, and often dyed, wood with resin bonder this material has been used by plenty of knife makers including Case & Buck for two fairly well respected makers as an example.
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Ikea isn't new tech either. It's also not wood.
Laminate flooring isn't hardwood either.
Plastic isn't ivory.

Laminated resin may be great stuff...it isn't wood though - just another artificial substance made to resemble something else. Heck, it might even be superior to the real thing for all I know - Ikea makes some great furniture & they have a great under $3 breakfast......
 
I think comparing this to artificial Ivory and laminate floor is not the same. I am less versed on laminate flooring but to my understanding they are 100% synthetic while this is real wood bonded together with resin what you see and the grain you see are real with this so it is not a fair comparison. I don't know the ratio but I suspect that there is more wood than resin in this material.
 
eveled said:
The difficult part is figuring out if the wood being used is just died birch or layers of a specific wood.

The Cherrywood Buck uses for example has nothing to do with a cherry tree.

But in matters of functionality stability and longevity you can’t beat these handles.
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"But in matters of functionality stability and longevity you can’t beat these handles." Amen!

All we had back in the 60s was wood, bone/stag, metal, and on the crappiest of all knives, plastic (putting Delrin in with plastic). For my work and user knives, only wood or bone/stag would do.

I bought a CASE (IIRC) stockman with Dymondwood, a trade name for layered resin material still sold today, thinking it was wood as all the layers were dyed a medium brown. This was back in the late 70s (again, IIRC) and I actually thought it was wood. I marveled at the fact that it never seemed to wear even after about 20 years of carry, never expanded or contracted, was never damaged due to sweat from being in my pocket day after day, was impervious to the solvents I cleaned it with, and only seemed to pick up light scuffing no matter what. I deduced that was some might hard wood! NONE of my other wood scaled pocket carrys held up near as well.

I was at a gun show in the 90s and talking to a CASE seller and he asked to see my knife, and he told me what it was. I was stunned, I thought Dymondwood was that garish rainbow pattern that was on so many knives at the time. Couldn't believe it. It is long gone, but "not getting it" seems to be a pattern of mine. I was gifted a Remington stockman about 20+ years ago, and I thought it had been scaled with beautiful ebony wood. Nope. After about 10 years of carry, it was sitting in the light one day just right and I could see the layers. Dymondwood or a cousin again.

So I am OK with a material that is waterproof, wears like iron, needs no care of consideration and looks really good when properly applied. As a sometime woodsman, hunter, distance hiker and camper I am fine with no more cutting down of 2 - 300 old trees (some older) to make knife scales, gun grips, guitar parts and small furniture. I had a friend in the hardwood import business that went on buying trips to South America once or twice a year. He told me way back in the 90s about deforestation and worse, told me that about 50% of those ancient old giants or more went to waste so the harvesters could get to the "good stuff". Yikes...

From the 'net:

Is DymaLux waterproof?

If you are unfamiliar with DymaLux, it is a birch plywood product made by Cousineau Wood Products in Maine USA. Very thin sheets are dyed, then bonded together with phenolic resin resulting in a very tough laminate. If you want a waterproof, impact and heat resistant scale product this just might be for you.May 11, 2020
 
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