# Best wood/material for kitchen knife handles and why



## Gjackson98 (Mar 4, 2020)

Same question as topic. 
What do you think is the best wood or material to be used for kitchen knife handles and why? 
I have been trying different type of wood and materials to make knife handles; some looks fancy but the grip is just not there. 
Will love to get some feedback from both Pro users and makers. 

Thanks


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## ian (Mar 4, 2020)

Let me be the first out of one hundred people to say burnt chestnut. Nice texture, grippy when wet, not too heavy, and attractive to look at.


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## Matt Zilliox (Mar 4, 2020)

Raquins burnt oak is not very bling but really grippy.


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## Gjackson98 (Mar 4, 2020)

ian said:


> Let me be the first out of one hundred people to say burnt chestnut. Nice texture, grippy when wet, not too heavy, and attractive to look at.


I have been wanting to try one (and make one) for the longest time.
Do you know by chance why Burnt Chestnut work so well (Grippy when wet with nice texture)?
Is it because is burnt or because is Chestnut? Or combination of both? 
For example if Burnt maple wood would it also increase grippy when wet?


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## Caleb Cox (Mar 4, 2020)

Ironwood is a personal favorite. Hickory that's been torched, wire brushed, and oiled has a nice grippy texture as well if that's a priority.


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## ian (Mar 4, 2020)

Gjackson98 said:


> I have been wanting to try one (and make one) for the longest time.
> Do you know by chance why Burnt Chestnut work so well (Grippy when wet with nice texture)?
> Is it because is burnt or because is Chestnut? Or combination of both?
> For example if Burnt maple wood would it also increase grippy when wet?



I assume the burning exaggerates the grain, but I don’t have any samples of unburned chestnut to compare to. I know someone on here has burned ho at some point, and I don’t remember theirs turning out super textured, so perhaps it is a combination of the wood and the technique. I’ll let someone with more direct experience chime in here, though.


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## milkbaby (Mar 4, 2020)

I think burnt chestnut is similar to oak; the late and early growth that forms the yearly rings in the tree burns at a different rate is my guess.

Charred and brushed oak:


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## Gjackson98 (Mar 4, 2020)

Does anyone know the process of burning handles?


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## Caleb Cox (Mar 4, 2020)

Run a MAPP torch over the wood until you're happy with the color, brush until no more junk/ash comes off, then treat with teak oil, BLO, or similar. Tape off what you don't want burnt. Keep your torch moving so you'll get an even char.


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## Gjackson98 (Mar 4, 2020)

Caleb Cox said:


> Run a MAPP torch over the wood until you're happy with the color, brush until no more junk/ash comes off, then treat with teak oil, BLO, or similar. Tape off what you don't want burnt. Keep your torch moving so you'll get an even char.


I will try it out! Thanks!


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## applepieforbreakfast (Mar 4, 2020)

I always feel like I have to be super careful with wood handles to avoid cross-contamination. So, I'd say micarta or pakkawood, but they're comparatively heavy.


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## Gjackson98 (Mar 4, 2020)

applepieforbreakfast said:


> I always feel like I have to be super careful with wood handles to avoid cross-contamination. So, I'd say micarta or pakkawood, but they're comparatively heavy.


If the wood you are using is stabilized or oiled/polished well. You shouldn't have problems with cross-contamination. But for sure like you said, some type of wood do better than others.


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## JoBone (Mar 11, 2020)

What the best wood? I guess you can also ask what’s the best metal, grind or knife. The answers will vary wildly.

If you are looking for grippy, not only consider the wood but also the abrasives and sealer - 320 grit is grippier than 800. For grippiness, some come to mind to differing degrees that haven’t been mentioned - walnut, olive wood, pheasant wood, Wenge, bog oak, osage orange, leopardwood, and yew are some.

if I was going to pick my favorites: Koa, ironwood, rosewoods (esp Cocobolo), Amboyna burl, HRB, pheasantwood, walnut, masur birch, Gidgee...damn, I can keep going


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## JoBone (Mar 14, 2020)

Got inspired by this thread and made a burnt Osage orange handle


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## Gjackson98 (Mar 14, 2020)

JoBone said:


> Got inspired by this thread and made a burnt Osage orange handle
> 
> 
> View attachment 74058
> View attachment 74059



Looking good! Did you follow the same method as other suggested earlier? Did you oil the handle before or after burning it?


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## JoBone (Mar 14, 2020)

Gjackson98 said:


> Looking good! Did you follow the same method as other suggested earlier? Did you oil the handle before or after burning it?


I hit it with a sealer after the burn


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## JoBone (Mar 22, 2020)

Funny timing, I see CKC just posted a burnt Osage orange handle. Anyone know who makes their handles, I always like chatting with other makers.


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## _THS_ (Mar 22, 2020)

JoBone said:


> Funny timing, I see CKC just posted a burnt Osage orange handle. Anyone know who makes their handles, I always like chatting with other makers.


I believe Craig of CKC make his own handles


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## pentryumf (Apr 24, 2020)

JoBone said:


> I hit it with a sealer after the burn


Judging by your background - I am guessing that Osage is local to you? 
0such an awesome look to the wood when lightly burnt. Also super rot resistent, big plus.


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## mlau (Apr 27, 2020)

That's some sexy looking stuff.


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## J.C (Apr 27, 2020)

Bog oak and burn chestnut are my favourite


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## parbaked (Apr 27, 2020)

I like vintage micarta...


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## madelinez (Apr 27, 2020)

Wenge


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## mikeeyS (Nov 12, 2021)

_THS_ said:


> I believe Craig of CKC make his own handles


OK-What is CKC ?


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## inferno (Nov 12, 2021)

Gjackson98 said:


> What do you think is the best wood or material to be used for kitchen knife handles and why?



masur birch. 
its good to work and plenty strong when finished. takes oil very good.
it also looks very good. what more do you need really?

runner up, for me at least, is turkish walnut.


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## ian (Nov 12, 2021)

mikeeyS said:


> OK-What is CKC ?








Kitchen Knife Glossary redux


I'm reformatting here an earlier awesome post from Eamon Burke in this thread, and including some info of my own from another thread.




www.kitchenknifeforums.com


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## zizirex (Nov 12, 2021)

vintage rosewood, Ebony, Cocobolo and olive wood are my favourite. Teak handle is also nice even though not that attractive, Walnut could be hit and miss.

I don't like Ho wood and Burned Chestnut, too light and seems like chestnut texture is where the pathogen lives.


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## Qapla' (Nov 12, 2021)

Where do micarta and G-10 rank from the maker perspective?


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## Barmoley (Nov 13, 2021)

Qapla' said:


> Where do micarta and G-10 rank from the maker perspective?


Both can be great but used very little in kitchen knives. Micarta is very durable and can be non slippery even when wet. Sure touch g10 is very nice feeling and is very grippy.


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## ModRQC (Nov 13, 2021)

Rosewood and Wenge - realistically within J-knives market.

Ebony can be awesome - although I have in mind better balance with some knives more than a care for the material itself. Yet the material can be awesome too, and still quite realistic of a J-knives perspective.

@HSC /// Knives bog oak. - anytime, over most of anything, In general also prefer monopiece. Shi.Han's Mora is great too. Custom makers have the handle material nailed down more properly, so anyone would claim custom makers they experienced. Especially with a more custom handle.

Against similarly priced market, Ittetsu KU mono walnut is never perfect OOTB but one worth the efforts on it every single time. I'm really surprised so few such equipped J-knives have emerged yet - it can't be costly if it's used with these Ittetsu, I've seen them around elsewhere so they're not unique, they're solid and can be made nice while being easy enough on maintenance. Better than 95% Ho handles, and then some more walnut/pakka and cherry/pakka and whatnot.


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## GoodMagic (Nov 13, 2021)

Ringed gidgee. Hard, beautiful, takes a great finish without stabilization, rot resistant.


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## Dominick Maone (Nov 18, 2021)

Qapla' said:


> Where do micarta and G-10 rank from the maker perspective?


I like G-10 a lot. Comes in tons of colors. I always use it on my stainless knives so the whole knife is basically water proof. Can mix and match handles, pins, liners, and thong tubes for colorful knives. Here is an LSU purple and gold knife.

I think I have only used wood once. It was purple heart, which does not need to be stabilized. It is the nakiri in the last pic- yellow, black, red, pink g10 and purple heart wood.

I use micarta too, but usually on non stainless knives. In the last pic are two 1075 knives with micarta. I think it looks better but is not as water proof as G-10.


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## Ochazuke (Nov 19, 2021)

I do love a good ho though...


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## inferno (Nov 19, 2021)

i like g10 for its durability and hardness. but i dislike it for being glass fiber. which you get lung cancer from. if you breathe it in.

imo if you gonna work with g10 make sure you do all the rough work outdoors or under some serious suction system.

yeah i know many people will say g10 is perfectly safe and all that. and it is. if you never ever breathe it in as powder. ever!

and if you do. you will probably not die. but instead you will get more and more sick in general and you will never be able to track it down.
and to be honest, simply dying may actually be preferable to this. i'm not kidding at all.

i mean sanding this turns it into micrometer/nanometer powder. that goes into your lungs. clogs them up. and since its not in any way/shape/or form degradable in your lungs it will stay there until you simply die.


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## gregfisk (Nov 19, 2021)

I like g10, micarta and epoxy resin for handles too but it doesn’t seem to be all that popular here. I guess I get that it’s not a natural material and maybe doesn’t feel as good in the hand as wood. I do like that there are endless possibilities with these types of materials and I like layering all of them together along with different types of metals and wood as well.


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## Jaeger (Nov 20, 2021)

For me, personally, stabilized wood is the best material. It's beautiful in all variations and resistant against everything in our kitchen... Natural wood is good too but you have to prep it well from time to time. I don't like pure g10 handles on kitchen knives...

Cheers Fabian


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## Benuser (Nov 20, 2021)

applepieforbreakfast said:


> I always feel like I have to be super careful with wood handles to avoid cross-contamination. So, I'd say micarta or pakkawood, but they're comparatively heavy.


In which case G10 might be considered.


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## Benuser (Nov 20, 2021)

As an end user, at home, I have no idea of machinabilty, availability or price. I like the wenge handles of vintage full tang Sabs.


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## captaincaed (Nov 20, 2021)

gregfisk said:


> I like g10, micarta and epoxy resin for handles too but it doesn’t seem to be all that popular here. I guess I get that it’s not a natural material and maybe doesn’t feel as good in the hand as wood. I do like that there are endless possibilities with these types of materials and I like layering all of them together along with different types of metals and wood as well.


Agree. Also, Dan Bidinger is a magician with finishing micarta. His handles index well in hand too, solid grip.


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## branwell (Nov 28, 2021)

Desert Ironwood.

Pros: Its more or less a close pore wood and looks amazing sanded to 800 and just buffed. No need for any finish. Feels great in the hand.
Cons: Very dense so needs to be mated to right blade or balance can be an issue.


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