Wood ID

[mick91]

Long story short had to visit a gunsmith today after the choke barrel on my beloved little Midland kestrel 20 gave up the ghost (it's tatty, ancient and worthless but I love it and can hit anything with it) and when I mentioned to him I made knives he offered me some scaling material as he makes stocks. A nice big piece of satinwood, some strips of ebony and a mystery piece

That's natural figuring not stain, anybody know what it may be? Its very heavy and hard as iron. Just curious

 

[bobnewboy]

Hmm, interesting. It would be easier to id if the end grain wasnt waxed, but then it may have checked in storage. From your description and the end grain it looks a bit like coconut palm or black palm wood, but the sapwood/heartwood contrast looks more like black walnut. Do you have any other fresh cut faces to photograph? Maybe the other end grain?

 

[mick91]

Both ends are treated in some way I'm afraid

That side isn't but you can't tell a great deal from that I imagine

 

[HillBill]

I'd be inclined to say Rosewood or Cocobolo. Both are used in making stocks.

 

[HillBill]

It's definitely not a palm wood, and wrong colours/grain for walnut i think.

Hmm, interesting. It would be easier to id if the end grain wasnt waxed, but then it may have checked in storage. From your description and the end grain it looks a bit like coconut palm or black palm wood, but the sapwood/heartwood contrast looks more like black walnut. Do you have any other fresh cut faces to photograph? Maybe the other end grain?

 

[mick91]

I'd be inclined to say Rosewood or Cocobolo. Both are used in making stocks.

I thought it may be cocobolo to be honest. Either way it's a nice enough piece to improve the look of an opinel or something I think. A little small for actual scales though. He uses some pretty unconventional materials but does make lovely stocks, love to have one off him! More impressive in a way he makes them, and is a very capable gunsmith, and he only has 1 arm!

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

 

[dwardo]

Laburnum maybe. Hard to tell from the pics though. If its quite soft maybe.

 

[mick91]

Laburnum maybe. Hard to tell from the pics though. If its quite soft maybe.

Nah it's very hard to be honest. Surprisingly so

 

[HillBill]

I considered laburnum as a possibility too, but the wood has a little too much red i think.

 

[Macaroon]

Ironwood, perhaps?

 

[HillBill]

Its possible Mac.

Given the standard embellishments on UK gun stocks, i figured it will be what they make the caps with, for rifle and shotgun stocks ( Bottom of the pistol grip area). or maybe the very fore end of the stock.

I'd say rosewood. Cocobolo doesn't really have the end grain flecks that the pics show. Neither does ironwood (its desert growing Hornbeam) iirc. Could be wrong mind

 

[mick91]

Its possible Mac.

Given the standard embellishments on UK gun stocks, i figured it will be what they make the caps with, for rifle and shotgun stocks ( Bottom of the pistol grip area). or maybe the very fore end of the stock.

Exactly my thinking. I did ask but he didn't know, said he had it years and couldn't find the right thing to do with it

 

[HillBill]

I just had a google of Rosewood end grain.......
http://www.wood-database.com/wp-content/uploads/chechen-endgrain-zoom1.jpg

 

[mick91]

I just had a google of Rosewood end grain.......
http://www.wood-database.com/wp-content/uploads/chechen-endgrain-zoom1.jpg

Looks about right that actually!

 

[HillBill]

I just had a google of Rosewood end grain....... =


Not sure if that exact pic is rosewood lol....... but if you google it.... it has the end grain flecks that the others don't have.

 

[birchwood]

It reminds me of Mulga, Acacia aneura.