Making scales out of stabilized mahogany

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Dec 19, 2009
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I have some mahogany that my Dad scrounged from a crate from the 1950’s he had it in his shop and when he passed away I moved it to mine. I was thinking of making my mother a set of kitchen knives with the mahogany as handles. Any one have an experience with using stabilized mahogany on kitchen knifes?:p
 
Not sure if I understand you question, is the wood stabilized or are you going to send it out to get stabilized?? If you are wondering if it will be a good knife handle for a kitchen knife once stabilize, the answere is yes. I personally would not use it un-stabilized.

May want to be more specific in you question to get more help.
good luck
 
If it is professionaly stabilized it will work great. Most home stabilized wood is not fully impregnated like the professionaly done wood and will obsorb moisture.

Bob
 
Mahogany is usually a little plain looking for knife handles, but I don't see any issue using it.

To be honest, I'd feel comfortable using it without stabilization. Mahogany is famous for its great natural stability. There is even a company that makes (very expensive) precision large-format cameras from mahogany. I have a couple of mahogany (swietenia macrophylla) cutting boards in my kitchen that see daily use (and abuse). These cutting boards are only finished with a coat of mineral oil and see a great deal of hot water and soap on a regular basis. The wood is holding up very well.
 
:thumbup: Thanks for the replies I’m planning to send it out to be stabilized I just wasn’t sure if Mahogany was a good wood for kitchen use. I’ve used it on several outdoor projects because it is stable in wet weather and repels insects. As far as being plain you should to see what she’s using now. The fact that it is something my father scrounged and kept around for 50 years would make up for the plainness. I’m hoping the stabilization process will help hold the color. If I make her something fancy she won’t use them.:(
 
Stabilization will almost certainly change the colors. Mainly toward darker, but I've seen other shifts on some woods.
 
There's no hard and fast rule regarding acrylic impregnation. Different folks use different chemicals and systems with different results..some better..much better..than others. Wood does not have to darken with the process, but chemicals are expensive and reused sometimes after dissolving out dark extractives from wood making the resin dark. It's Not necessarily the "process" per se, but the dark resins used acting like dye.

Here's a fiddleback Hondo mahogany guitar billet..one of several I have.. It's 2 x 7 x 20"
 

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When I process Holly or English sycamore or Masur birch I use new, pristine resin and progress thru darker woods as the resin darkens. Most certainly this is why some blocks loose contrast when processed like spalted maple and walnut.
 
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