What do you think of this dyed wood?

C

Cushing H.

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Jun 3, 2019
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I sent some Cherry Burl to K&G for stabilizing .... and one block tested for dyeing so see how it penetrated. Looks like it did - but not homogeneously (expected I guess). The resulting texture is kind of cool - but I really am not sure if I like it. This dye was black .... but I am thinking it might be much more attractive with a dye like dark Royal Blue... What do you guys think??
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Cushing H. said:
I sent some Cherry Burl to K&G for stabilizing .... and one block tested for dyeing so see how it penetrated. Looks like it did - but not homogeneously (expected I guess). The resulting texture is kind of cool - but I really am not sure if I like it. This dye was black .... but I am thinking it might be much more attractive with a dye like dark Royal Blue... What do you guys think??
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No dyeing of Burl type woods comes out even And even the cleanest of woods won’t. I suggest you make a handle with your test piece & see how it looks. Also the Cherry, no color.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
No dyeing of Burl type woods comes out even And even the cleanest of woods won’t. I suggest you make a handle with your test piece & see how it looks. Also the Cherry, no color.
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It is actually that uneveness I was looking for ( = texture). Mostly I was wondering about the color. This was black dye ... and to me it kind of looks "dirty" (though my wife says she likes it ... and she constantly reminds me she has a better sense of aesthetics than I do... :) ). I am thinking a dark blue would stand out, and not have that "dirty" look.

Cherry burl does have a slight red tone to it ... and from what I read previously stabilization brings out that tone even more. From what I got back (though I have not sanded and polished a sample), it does look like that is what happened with the non-dyed stabilized pieces....
 
I just plainly hate it.
To me it just looks unnatural.
Wood can be so beautiful, just let it be wood.
 
It just looks unnatural and wrong to me.
To me darkening a wood like maple feels like cheating a bit as well.
As long as it is brown it can look tolerateable, but still feels like cheating.
Changing the chemestry of the wood with aqua fortis is different to me.

Blue, red or bright green dyed wood to me is like putting a Donald Duck sticker on the Mona Lisa, because Donald Duck looks so funny.
 
That isn't stabilized yet is it? Remember that the appearance will change with stabilization and sanding and a finish on it. I get my students to haul chunks of wood out the bush that is spalted, rotting on the end and looking like crap and they can't understand why I would want them. Stabilized and finished a year or two later and they look like a million dollars. So this likely will turn out much nicer when it is finished properly.

When I make knives with my students or for my family I often sand the blocks to 120 and spray a coat of poly on them so they get an idea of what it will look like. Otherwise most of them can't see what it will look like finished and aren't inspired. My bet is that black dyed piece you have will have a striking look in the end.

Personally dyed wood catches my eye initially, but when I see a blue or red wooden handle it just doesn't do it for me. I like the natural colours in the long run. BUT...beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I know other people that love dyed looks.

just my 2cents worth.
 
Thanks randy and willie. It IS stabilized. I’ve seen dyed buckeye burl ... and what is different here is that, though the dye penetrated, it looks like it did so as little discrete fingers (whereas the buckeye was more uniform. I guess I will just have to put it on a handle (or a mock-up of one) and see what the final product looks like
 
I think this will look beautiful when finished. It has natural colors and marble structure. Post some pics when you have finished a handle. Or cut a pair of scales and go through the grits and give it a coat of oil to show us how it will look finished.
 
Cushing H. said:
It is actually that uneveness I was looking for ( = texture). Mostly I was wondering about the color. This was black dye ... and to me it kind of looks "dirty" (though my wife says she likes it ... and she constantly reminds me she has a better sense of aesthetics than I do... :) ). I am thinking a dark blue would stand out, and not have that "dirty" look.

Cherry burl does have a slight red tone to it ... and from what I read previously stabilization brings out that tone even more. From what I got back (though I have not sanded and polished a sample), it does look like that is what happened with the non-dyed stabilized pieces....
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No problems here with unevenness . Still you won’t know what it really looks like till you take to 400-600 grit and wax or however you want to finish it?
 
I really like it, but I really like weathered wood. I recently had some spalted pecan stabilized by K&G, if I would have thought it would have picked up those gray tones I would have dyed the majority of it.
 
Don't forget, Cush, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The only person who's opinion really matters should be the person who's knife it is.
 
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