Seems like modern day chisel makers are using as many different types of
wood for their handles as there are makers of chisels, but is there
really any great advantage to using Hornbeam, Boxwood, and Rosewood
versus good ol' Hickory or Ash? I want to make some new handles for a
couple of my old general purpose socket chisels, and I'm trying to
decide what kind of wood to use. Looking through my stacks of suitable
cutoffs, I have (among many others, but I'm not really considering
things like Cherry, Mahogany, Maple, or even Oak):

Shagbark Hickory
Honey Locust
Mesquite
Pecan
Persimmon
Purpleheart
Padauk

What would you choose (or specifically NOT choose) and why? Just
curious. :-)

--
"Our beer goes through thousands of quality Czechs every day."
(From a Shiner Bock billboard I saw in Austin some years ago)
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Neither of these are on your list, but I make
handles out of dogwood and mock orange(bowdock) both of these are
almost indestructable.

Of the ones on your list, hickory/pecan or persimmon, both are tough and
take an
excellent finish.


"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
Seems like modern day chisel makers are using as many different types of
wood for their handles as there are makers of chisels, but is there really
any great advantage to using Hornbeam, Boxwood, and Rosewood versus good
ol' Hickory or Ash? I want to make some new handles for a couple of my
old general purpose socket chisels, and I'm trying to decide what kind of
wood to use. Looking through my stacks of suitable cutoffs, I have (among
many others, but I'm not really considering things like Cherry, Mahogany,
Maple, or even Oak):

Shagbark Hickory
Honey Locust
Mesquite
Pecan
Persimmon
Purpleheart
Padauk

What would you choose (or specifically NOT choose) and why? Just curious.
:-)

--
"Our beer goes through thousands of quality Czechs every day."
(From a Shiner Bock billboard I saw in Austin some years ago)
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Steve Turner writes:
Seems like modern day chisel makers are using as many different types of
wood for their handles as there are makers of chisels, but is there
really any great advantage to using Hornbeam, Boxwood, and Rosewood
versus good ol' Hickory or Ash? I want to make some new handles for a
couple of my old general purpose socket chisels, and I'm trying to
decide what kind of wood to use. Looking through my stacks of suitable
cutoffs, I have (among many others, but I'm not really considering
things like Cherry, Mahogany, Maple, or even Oak):

For the last two handles I made for some flea market socket chisels
I laminated some tapered offcuts (mahogany and oak) from
tapered table legs and turned them. Look nice, and particularly for
paring chisels, work well.

scott

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:17:40 -0600, Steve Turner
wrote:

Seems like modern day chisel makers are using as many different types of
wood for their handles as there are makers of chisels, but is there
really any great advantage to using Hornbeam, Boxwood, and Rosewood
versus good ol' Hickory or Ash? I want to make some new handles for a
couple of my old general purpose socket chisels, and I'm trying to
decide what kind of wood to use. Looking through my stacks of suitable
cutoffs, I have (among many others, but I'm not really considering
things like Cherry, Mahogany, Maple, or even Oak):

Shagbark Hickory
Honey Locust
Mesquite
Pecan
Persimmon
Purpleheart
Padauk

What would you choose (or specifically NOT choose) and why? Just
curious. :-)


Most handles are best made from strong dense wood. Taking a look at
my pile of scraps for a decent handle I see...
dogwood (amazingly beautiful wood)
apple
ash
hickory
pallet wood (walnut, cherry, and several unknown)

Being somewhat frugal, I'd probably pick the size/shape needed rather
than what kind of (dense) wood used. I have made handles
intentionally containing knots that have held up well over the years,
although I am careful about dead/loose knots.

On Nov 24, 3:17*pm, Steve Turner wrote:

What would you choose (or specifically NOT choose) and why? *Just
curious. *:-)

I'd use maple. I wouldn't use balsa, because it's too soft.

JP

.... I make handles out of dogwood and mock orange(bowdock)


Maybe mock orange is bowdock, but Osage Orange is bois d'arc
(bodock).

Sonny

Sonny wrote:


.... I make handles out of dogwood and mock orange(bowdock)


Maybe mock orange is bowdock, but Osage Orange is bois d'arc
(bodock).

Sonny
Same wood, goes by many names even in my area of the southeast.
Particularly useful for cooking utensils that are going to be put in the
dishwasher.

cheers

basilisk wrote:
Sonny wrote:

.... I make handles out of dogwood and mock orange(bowdock)

Maybe mock orange is bowdock, but Osage Orange is bois d'arc
(bodock).

Sonny
Same wood, goes by many names even in my area of the southeast.

Most of us here in Texas call it "bodark". Back in Missouri we called
them "hedge apple trees".

Particularly useful for cooking utensils that are going to be put in the
dishwasher.

Interesting. I've found the same thing to be true of Honey Locust.

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Nov 24, 10:29�pm, Steve Turner wrote:
basilisk wrote:
Sonny wrote:

.... I make handles out of dogwood and mock orange(bowdock)

Maybe mock orange is bowdock, but Osage Orange is bois d'arc
(bodock).

Sonny
Same wood, goes by many names even in my area of the southeast.

Most of us here in Texas call it "bodark". �Back in Missouri we called
them "hedge apple trees".

Particularly useful for cooking utensils that are going to be put in the
dishwasher.

Interesting. �I've found the same thing to be true of Honey Locust.

"Sonny" wrote in message
...
On Nov 24, 10:29?pm, Steve Turner wrote:
basilisk wrote:
Sonny wrote:

.... I make handles out of dogwood and mock orange(bowdock)

Maybe mock orange is bowdock, but Osage Orange is bois d'arc
(bodock).

Sonny
Same wood, goes by many names even in my area of the southeast.

Most of us here in Texas call it "bodark". ?Back in Missouri we called
them "hedge apple trees".

Particularly useful for cooking utensils that are going to be put in the
dishwasher.

Interesting. ?I've found the same thing to be true of Honey Locust.

--
See Nad. ?See Nad go. ?Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

My post wasn't meant to be a challenge, a correction or that I was
being rude. My frame of mind, at the time, was meant to be
informative (bois d'arc) and light hearted. I am aware osage orange
has many other names. Mock orange, however, is a particular flowering
shrub many folks have on their lawns as lawn decor, not the tree, as
osage orange is. That difference could have been confusing, for
some. I had assumed the post was in reference to osage orange. I
apologize, basilisk, if I sounded rude.

Sonny

Same for me if I sounded defensive, but no offense was taken.

Basilisk

As a professional woodworker, I rarely have the time to get paid for
making pretty new chisel handles with shiny little ferrules. In most
cases, I go to the bin on the wall and grab a proper size file handle,
tap my trusty rusty into it with a little glue, and BACK TO WORK!