# NO MORE ******* Redwood!



## Dave Martell (Apr 5, 2014)

Sorry folks but I've worked with the last block of red dust (redwood) today. Once again I've been shown that this stuff is sub-standard for use when attempting to make money. I'm many hours into a rehandle that just went south because the wood is not really wood, it's formed dust. Now I've got to grind the redwood off, reimburse the customer for the loss, buy another mosaic pin, lose my hours into it already, possibly risk hosing the knife (which I've already thinned!), and now re-work a whole new block of wood (again). Ugh!!! 

I might take buckeye burl off the list too. There's just too much risk for me to keep playing around with this garbage.

Rant mode OFF

Dave



PS - I don't blame anyone but myself here, I know better.


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## brianh (Apr 5, 2014)

Wow, even old growth and/or stabilized redwood will do that?


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## Dave Martell (Apr 5, 2014)

brianh said:


> Wow, even old growth and/or stabilized redwood will do that?




Unfortunately yes.


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## Dave Martell (Apr 5, 2014)

What really gets me pissed, besides all I listed above, is that I had this one fit up tight - I mean the best fit I've ever had for a hidden tang conversion and now I've got to trash it.


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## Dave Martell (Apr 5, 2014)

I just realized that I have 3 knives here now due to have redwood installed! I'll honor these and then that's it. :bigeek:


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## Eric (Apr 5, 2014)

Dave-sorry, sounds frustrating. Pictures would be educational, though, to understand better your experience, and subsequent statements.


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## Erilyn75 (Apr 5, 2014)

I've got another piece here, I'll see if Mark will exchange it. He's listing some pretties today.


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## Burl Source (Apr 5, 2014)

Sorry to hear what happened Dave.
I put a little something in your Christmas stocking to help make up for the lost time and frustration.


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## Dave Martell (Apr 5, 2014)

Burl Source said:


> Sorry to hear what happened Dave.
> I put a little something in your Christmas stocking to help make up for the lost time and frustration.




Mark,
You shouldn't have done that. I really don't blame you here. I've used so much great wood from you that you get a pass from me if a bad one were to ever come along. The fact is that this wood would probably have been fine for octagonal wa handle making, it was just that in my hands making western handles it doesn't work. I've just grown to hate redwood because it's kicked my ass so many times and I'm drawing a line in the sand on this. But you can't be held responsible for everything us end users do with the wood, we screw up plenty and we can't expect you to fix when we do. What you did speaks volumes about your character though, you have loyal customers for a reason. Thank you


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## ThEoRy (Apr 5, 2014)

Dave, I've got this Moritaka I'd like to have fixed up and rehandled with some killer redwood. What are the chances....??


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## mkriggen (Apr 5, 2014)

ThEoRy said:


> Dave, I've got this Moritaka I'd like to have fixed up and rehandled with some killer redwood. What are the chances....??



:rofl2:


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## Marko Tsourkan (Apr 5, 2014)

I don't like redwood either.


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## Dave Martell (Apr 5, 2014)

ThEoRy said:


> Dave, I've got this Moritaka I'd like to have fixed up and rehandled with some killer redwood. What are the chances....??


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## Mingooch (Apr 5, 2014)

Dave what about a Glestain in redwood burl? is that any better HEHE


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## Dave Martell (Apr 5, 2014)

Mingooch said:


> Dave what about a Glestain in redwood burl? is that any better HEHE




You're killing me!


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## mr drinky (Apr 5, 2014)

Cut the theatrics Dave. Ranting about wood. What have we next?

k.


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## mr drinky (Apr 5, 2014)

I don't even know why I said that last post (just being dramatic), but all I will say is that I love my Martell #10 rehandled with some redwood and my daughter's Misono rehandled from the same block. 

k.


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## Matus (Apr 6, 2014)

Dave, since I know little about different woods that get used for knife handles - what makes redwood (and possibly others) so unstable/unpleasant to work with? What exactly goes wrong with them?


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## apicius9 (Apr 6, 2014)

Mmhh, surprised that this is such a general statement. I very light lace redwood burl, and I can see that being somewhat soft even after stabilizing. Sands away like nothing, and combining it with metal is a pain. On wa handles, I often find this difficult to finish to a shine. But I also have some old growth redwood that is dense and heavy, clearly denser than koa, and I would be surprised if that caused similar problems. 

Stefan


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## Dave Martell (Apr 6, 2014)

Matus said:


> Dave, since I know little about different woods that get used for knife handles - what makes redwood (and possibly others) so unstable/unpleasant to work with? What exactly goes wrong with them?




What I've seen as the biggest problem with redwood is sections that literally disappear when shaping - poof - gone like a pile of dust blown away. In the case of the handle I was working on yesterday this is what happened and the section was so deep that there was nothing left to work with to fix it. I take great care when working redwood and still this happens. 

The other thing that presents a problem (with soft wood in general) is trying to get the surfaces between wood and metal bits (tang, pins, bolster) to align flush. Soft wood will undercut because it wears so much faster than the metal does and sometimes there's no way to keep it from happening.


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## Dave Martell (Apr 6, 2014)

mr drinky said:


> I don't even know why I said that last post (just being dramatic), but all I will say is that I love my Martell #10 rehandled with some redwood and my daughter's Misono rehandled from the same block.
> 
> k.




That block of wood was probably the best redwood I've had.


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## WarrenB (Apr 8, 2014)

So Dave, when can I send this lot in for nice new Redwood handles?





:sofa:


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## Dave Martell (Apr 8, 2014)

You forgot this smiley Warren.......:justkidding:


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## WarrenB (Apr 8, 2014)

Dave Martell said:


> You forgot this smiley Warren.......:justkidding:



I will take that as a 'NO' then:biggrin:


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## daveb (Apr 8, 2014)

Maybe you could sell handle "kits" where users can roll their own...





:laugh:


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## Dave Martell (Apr 8, 2014)

daveb said:


> Maybe you could sell handle "kits" where users can roll their own...
> 
> View attachment 23177
> 
> ...




:tooth:


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## Dave Martell (Apr 8, 2014)

Dave Martell said:


> You forgot this smiley Warren.......:justkidding:





WarrenB said:


> I will take that as a 'NO' then:biggrin:




lus1:


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## Erilyn75 (Apr 9, 2014)

You guys crack me up! Needed the chuckles tonight


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## Marko Tsourkan (Apr 9, 2014)

Here is another reason not to use redwood:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/09/u...lders-of-california-its-redwoods.html?hp&_r=0


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## gavination (Apr 11, 2014)

That's both sad and infuriating!  Time to go sit in some trees with a rifle...


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