Just finished my 500th knife handle and realized I've never used the same wood twice

I mean, I started just using scrap oak and maple, but now I'm hunting down exotics like purpleheart and zebrawood. Anyone have a good source for small, affordable blocks of interesting stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles_chen6d ago

Collecting novelty" is a pretty harsh way to put it. Maybe they just enjoy the craft more when it's always something new. Getting good can happen while having fun too.

riley_gibson197d ago

Honestly that sounds like a waste. You're never gonna get really good with any one wood if you keep switching. Like, mastering how maple finishes versus how oily walnut sands down, that takes repetition. You're just collecting novelty instead of building real skill.

-1

barbaradavis6d ago

But that's the whole point, you learn more by switching. If you only use maple, you only know how to work with maple. Real skill is being able to pick up any piece of wood and know what to do because you've felt them all. Sticking to one thing just makes you good at one very specific task. A broad skill set is way more useful and way less boring.