Choices are Myrtle Wood, Santos Rosewood and  Dyed Stabilized  Black Ash Burl                    
                                               

All About Dyed Stabilized Woods 

This wood has all the moisture removed [ sucked or vacuumed out ] and replaced with a special blend of monomers and acrylics to stabilize, process, and dye the wood .  This wood , once stabilized , results in material that is resistant to temperature changes, humidity extremes, UV rays and saltwater as well as many acids and solvents commonly encountered in day-in-day-out use .  The basic wood started with is Box Elder Burl , which is highly figured.                           

Myrtlewood { Bay Laurel } Handles
This is our base wood .

ABOVE : Professional Chefs [ 2.5 inches by 7 inches ] along with a Traditional paring knife - both with Myrtlewood handles .

Above : Paring knife handle with Stabilized Dyed Box Elder Burl

Above: 9 and 7 inch Professioanl Chefs Knives with stabilized  dyed Box Elder Burl - 2.5 inches wide 
[ see large Chefs Knives page ]

 Dyed Stabilized Box Elder Burl Wood [ blue and red ]

 

Photo Below  :  14 inch kitchen  after the blade has been finished and sharpened . I am just about to install the brass bolsters which can be seen above the handle on the left . This is a commission for a St. Louis baker .

Above : From top down - 3 inch cleaver , round nosed small chefs [ 1 x 5 inches ] and a 2.5 inch cleaver.
All have just been cut out , drilled and had their surfaces sharpened and polished . These will now be taped and given
a set of brass bolsters . then the wood handles will be installed and glued. 24 hours later , I will be able to sand the handles out .

 

Pictured above: The 14 inch kitchen knife has just been taken from the tempering oven shown at the bottom of this page . I harden it completely using a small custom made propane tool forge . This will darken the surface . Then I will take this billet back to the shop and use a 100 grit belt to clean it up to the polish now shown . Then it is placed in that tempering over [ which I have had for 20 years and was originally bought used  !!! ]  12 minutes later at 450 degrees , and the straw yellow color is drawn out and the blade is now fully heat treated and will hold a great edge .

 

Above : These knives have been glued and handled and clamped with numerous C -clamps .
Then the glue needs to cure for 24 hours.

 

Above : clamped 14 inch kitchen knife .

 

Above: My tempering electric oven . Any oven will due .