# Deadheads and Sinkers



## ajhuff (Jul 14, 2012)

I can't imagine pine being very suitable for handles but what about preserved pine and cypress? When I lived in Bainbridge GA there were one or two companies retrieving old sunken timber in the Flint River. Gorgeous stuff. The logs are called deadheads or sinkers and were logs lost or intentionally cast overboard while transporting up the river 100-150 years ago.

-AJ


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## Burl Source (Jul 14, 2012)

Some of the sinkers are being salvaged for musical instruments and furniture use. 
I would think the cypress would be a good tone wood.
The pine would most likely no longer be pitchy so I would guess it would work out real nice for furniture.
One of the wood suppliers I know has been cutting up salvage/sinker pine for wood flooring.


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## VoodooMajik (Jul 14, 2012)

I was wondering about cypress.


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## ajhuff (Jul 14, 2012)

Yeah in Bainbridge it was being used by a company for furniture and floors like you said Mark. Was just curious if it could be used for handles. Just curious, I like my handles black and plastic. 

-AJ


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## Crothcipt (Jul 14, 2012)

There is that ancient bog wood that is getting stabilized, so we should see soon.


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## Chifunda (Jul 14, 2012)

I've used a fair amount of cypress making Adirondack chairs, planters, and flower stands for outdoor use. It's quite resistant to rot, but I'd think it a bit too soft for knife handles...it's only 570 on the Janka scale vs. 1780 for rosewood and 1136 for cocobolo for example. 

Don't pretend to know what effect being underwater for an extended period of time has on wood. Is the cellulose in the cell walls replaced by minerals dissolved in the water?


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