Zircote for Big Bro

[75diagg]

 

Made for Big Bro Reggie.
Another big supporter, checking on me daily..
Between his big cigars and his own operations and at 68 drivin his red corvette
And  one of my close friends..
He wanted to be a Navy Seal..LOL
Couldnt get the swirls to show in the Ziricote.
Ziricote has to be one of my favorite handle materials...The stuff is about waterproof

[4est trekker]

Now that's a fine blade and sheath for what sounds like a fine gentleman!     The knife has a very pleasing profile and proportion to it.  I particularly like the bolster.  So glad you're bouncing back from your stabbing.  I would imagine it helps to keep your hands and mind busy, although perhaps making knives has a painful irony to it.  Hang in there and keep the faith!

[Todd Robbins]

Nice knife and sheath!

I really like ziricote as well.  I had some company from out of town last year that put one of my knives in the dishwasher on the pots and pans cycle.  It has a ziricote handle, and came out ok.  I had to redo the finish, but it's fine otherwise.  I'm very impressed with ziricote's durability.  It does tend to darken with age and handling, and that kind of lessens the dramatic effect the grain can have, but it sure does hold up good.

[75diagg]

some ziricote seems to darken more than others.
the darker wood is the core wood  more to outside of tree its blond color....its more oily in center of tree....and like most oily woods,,its gets its own ideas on what God wants it to do!.One can rub wood with acetone to remove oil and lighten wood,,,works well with cocobolo...ziricote will polish with jewelers ZAM,,,with no liquid finish,,,stabilized ziricote will not darken or change....a few coats of wood hardener will make it last along time ,,,,coat handle with CA glue it will probally not darken in my lifetime,,ten or so coats of tung oil it will last along time darken,,,depending on the tung oil used. Teak oil belongs on a outside deck and it will darken wood...Thompsons water seal clear will keep zircote happy....One lady in Belize uses clear shoe polish.   All this knife above handle got was hand polish down to 0000 steel wool and 5 or so coats of Howards     feed-n-wax (bees wax n orange oil) it will darken,,,Ziricote is impervious to rot,bugs and elements. On the coastal areas of Belize,Honduras, its a favorite for Saltwater boats.
Some knives like a very curly claro walnut Im doing right now may have been sanded down to bare wood after trying differant techniques on wood to bring its best out....Nothing Ive found works the same all the time...And what one wood Guru uses may not work on my piece of wood...
In fact I listened to a friend that makes some pretty fancy guitars...His method really didnt work on my Claro...Like Ziricote Claro seems to have alot of little iddy biddy holes...Claro at least what I have has lotsa holes......Stabilizeing in a heated Vacuum makes the woods,,,,just that stable.....and there are alot of methods for that! And some woods wont stabilize all that great...Even out of the same tree.... The expensive spray Mike Rash uses on his Legends Bows seems to be the ticket...on hidden tang knives...But full tang knives,,,,we have to deal with all that metal that needs that finish removed and have polished metal and still have that  at times....long awaited wood finish...like maybe 3 weeks just to finish that precious wood....to me its like courten a lady! Its not a done deal till after the wedding and ya still may have some maintenace involved if ya want to stay married!  LOL

Remember  shot placement is not more important than a razor sharp broadhead...They are equally as importnat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Todd Robbins]

Thanks for the finishing tips!  The knife I mentioned had simply been sanded to 2000 grit and waxed with Johnson's Floor Wax.  That worked fine until the dishwasher incident.  I refinished it by resanding to 2000 grit, then applying about a dozen coats of Tru-Oil, then about 5 or 6 coats of Gunstock Wax. It hasn't been used that much since I re-did it, but it still looks exactly like it did when I finished waxing it.

[75diagg]

dont use Mr Casey anymore....Its dries up in bottle to quick as does its filler. and I just dont think its as good.
Good ole Johnsons  has been my choice since 7th grade wood shop....Got a can sittin at my feet right now....
Like Formsbys much better....think it does better..Redid my first gun stocks in wood shop 7th grade.Naturaly had to use Mr Casy...Reblued several guns in metal shop also 7th and who else Mr Casy.....And nothing else for wax used has been Johsons paste for about 45yrs or so..
It will harden in pin holes  and make little spots.....I presume you are wet sanding with the 2000.....For many years  Way before serious knife play...Have used (3M)  sanding material thats up to 8000 its a wet or dry sandpaper kinda   400 to 8000 looks like a sheet of sandpaper...but more like a limp T shirt...
and wet or dry sand paper up to 3500..

Also Lemon oil

These went to my friend in Deerfield Beach,FL
It was he who told me about Ziricote...all around his fishing Resort in Belize...Hes now way to sick to fish,string a bow..Lady Martha at resort in Belize and lives there...Is looking for a source of Super Ziricote..Asked her to look into Bocote and Snakewood.
Opened a brand new bottle of Mr Casey a few months ago..Its now rock hard,,maybe shoulda put in refrig....But at that time its was in the 30's anyway.

[75diagg]

Sorry Todd heres the Ziricote knives.