Best Wood for Making Knife Handles

When looking for a good knife, most people search for the one that has an excellent-quality blade. But you should look for other qualities of a knife as well, when purchasing one, rather than just considering its blade.

Many people don’t ponder over the fact that there is much more to a knife other than its blade. Another important feature of a good knife is its handle. The style, color, and design of any knife rely on its handle.

If you are looking to repair your broken knife, create a customized knife, or just want to get a new one, the knife’s handle’s material plays a significant role.

There are many options for the knife’s handle material, but wood is the most preferred one. Wood is the most commonly used material for knife handles and is being used for ages.

Find the best wood for knife handles can be an overwhelming task, but through this article, we have got it all covered.

How to Compare the Best Wood for Knife handles?

The best type of wood for knife handles can be compared using the following Table

Product	Key Specifications	More Info
Payne Bros Leopard Wood	Color: Various colors Dimension: 1 ½ x 5 ½ x 5/16 in.	Price
Aibote 2pcs Color Wood	Color: Blue-grey, white, and grey Dimension: 150x40x10 mm	Price
Aibote G10 Fiber Damascus	Color: Black-red, black-blue Dimension: 130x45x8 mm	Price
Bookmatched Zebrawood	Color: Golden, yellow, black Dimension: 3/8x2x5 in.	Price
Bookmatched Ironwood	Color: Dark-colored Dimension: 6.4x2.4x1.7 in.	Price

Best Types of Wood for Knife Handles

Below we have listed the most commonly used types of wood for knife handle making material.

1Variety Pack of 5 Wood Scales by Payne Bros

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Highlight Features

• The wood in this pack is untreated.
• The set is of one of each of the written wood types.
• Two pieces of wood for each type will be delivered.
• Each piece is 5.25” to 5.5” long.
• These are available as a book-matched set.
• As this is natural wood; hence the color, grain, and look of the wood can be different from what is shown in the picture.
• This comes as five sets, including ten pieces.

The pack of 5 by Payne Bros is an amazing wood handle material that is great for knife making or DIY projects. This knife scale set has five types of wood in a pack. This material is certainly the best wood for knife scales.

Payne Bros is a small company owned by a family living in Springville, Utah.

They provide the best quality of wood for knife making and knife kits available. This pack can be used by professionals and beginners to create good-quality knife handles. According to Payne Bros, anyone can accomplish in making a knife.

They also sell unique scales that are used to make 1911 gun grips. This brand has 25 types of wood for knife handles, including stabilized woods, laser engraved woods, bone, horn, and a great number of unique scales.

The wood can be affected due to the difference in temperature and humidity of a place.

2Aibote 2pcs Color Wood Knife Handles

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Highlight Features

• This wood piece is 150mm x 40m x 10mm in size.
• This set includes two pieces of wood.
• It can be engraved, carved, and scrimshawed.
• It can be cut, shaped, drilled in, and buffed easily.
• This wood can be used for various handles, hand-made stuff, bow handles, and slingshot handle.
• It comprises excellent material quality. This is untreated wood.

This beautiful and durable knife handle material is a production of Aibote. This wood for knife handles has gained many compliments amongst its buyers. The most outstanding point about this wood is its color.

This material is a solid wood texture when it comes to aesthetics and can be compared to G10 because of its durability.

It comes in different colors that include: blue and gray, white and grey, brown and grey, and purple white.

3Aibote 2pc G10 Glass Fiber Damascus Pattern Knife Handle Material

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Highlight Features

• The Aibote G10 glass fiber knife handle material is made with glass fiber and epoxy resin.
• It has extremely strong, and it is wear-resistant.
• It can not be deformed or will not result in bursting.
• This piece has great insulation properties.
• It comes with moistureproof and fireproof qualities.
• The material is heavier than logs but lighter than steel.
• The texture is of very quality.
• The dimensions of this piece are 130 x 45 x 8 mm.
• You can engrave in it, carve on it and easily cut it to transform it into any shape.
• This wood can be used to build the best knife handles, handicrafts, and bow handles.

Another one of Aibote’s creations, this glass fiber knife handle material is perfect for knife handle material and great as a DIY tool for knife making. This piece comprises glass fiber cloth and epoxy resin which is one of its unique qualities.

Customers reviewed that it was easy to make a knife with it, and they were able to create a wonderful-looking knife using this material. This is the best wood for kitchen knife handles as it is a pretty knife handle material.

You can easily create your knives at home using the glass fiber material

4Bookmatched Zebrawood Knifes Scales

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Highlight Features

• This piece has a golden yellow heartwood and some streaks of black and dark brown.
• The dark and light streaks give it a zebra stripe look.
• Its dimensions are 3/8”x 2”x 5.
• It comprises natural hardwood scales that are marvelous for knife-making equipment.
• It can be a great option to make a hunting knife.

Zebrawood is a high-quality wood, and that is why it lies under the list of the best knife handle woods to buy. This book-matched zebrawood knife scale has a strong pattern; although zebrawood is used to make furniture and cabinets, it is ideal for creating small items like knives.

The reason this wood piece is used traditionally is its reasonable cost and availability.

5Bookmatched Ironwood Knife Scales

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Highlight Features

• It offers the most exotic block for crafting.
• This wood can be used by beginners and professionals.
• This set includes two woodblocks.
• You can create your dream knife using this material.
• It has a superior color and grain.
• This whittling kit can be gifted to beginners to complete their projects.
• This set can be returned and comes with a money-back guarantee.

The book-matched ironwood knife scales are exotic blanks that have been made from the wood of the ironwood tree. This wood comprises a striking grain, and it is dense. Ironwood is the heaviest wood after leadwood.

Ironwood trees are found in the deserts and coastal regions of Arizona, California, and Mexico. The ironwood trees are not cut down, but the fallen ones are collected. These are dried up for many years, and then they are carved by carvers.

Although there may be some natural flaws in the wood, you can create glamorous knives or daggers using this unique ironwood blank.

6Aibote 1 Pair 3D Color Flame Pattern Knife Handle

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Highlight Features

• This wood blank has a high density.
• It is wear-resistant and has high strength.
• These have a good performance and do not fade away with time.
• You can get these in three dimensions: 120 x 40 x 10mm, 120 x 80 20mm, 160 x 50 x 10mm.
• It is made with 100% rosewood material; it is used to make knife handles and jewelry.
• This material can be used to make handles, handicrafts, bow handles, and other things.

The Aibote 3D color knife handle scale has a striking look; it is made from birch and resin. It has two layers of a concave and convex pattern on its surface, having 1mm thickness. It has an uneven feel when you touch it.

These wood blanks have flame streaks through them that give them a lovely look. These wood pieces are impressive and will be a stunning handle for your knife.

If not satisfied, the customer can return it and get the money back.

7Wood Knife Scales Material – Payne Bros

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Highlight Features

• The wood in this pack is untreated.
• The set is of two pieces of any type of wood like cedar, rosewood, cherry, etc.
• Two pieces of wood for each type will be delivered.
• Each piece is 5.25” to 5.5” long.
• These are available as a book-matched set.
• As this is natural wood; hence the color, grain, and look of the wood can be different from what is shown in the picture.
• This set includes two pieces of wood.

The wood knife scales by Payne Bros is another one of their unique products. The scales are top-notch. The customers love the way their knives turn out using these scales. The material is not that thick, which makes it easier to work with.

It is great to have a custom knife made for yourself; this wood has the perfect thickness and s the right size for knife making and repairing projects.

The wood can be affected due to the difference in temperature and humidity of a place.

820 Pack, Black Walnut Wood Knife Scales

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Highlight Features

• Its dimensions are 5”x 1-1/2”x 3/8”.
• The wood is black walnut; this type of wood is dark and tight-grained. It can be polished to a smooth surface.
• This wood material’s color is lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown having dark brown streaks.
• The texture of this wood is medium, and it has a moderate natural luster.
• This wood is air-dried, and the moisture content is 9%.
• It is easier to cut and to shape.
• It comes with a 60-day free warranty.

The black walnut wood joins our list of the best knife handles wood. This package contains 20 pieces of black walnut wood scales. This kind of wood is quite famous among the workers in the USA.

These walnut blanks are imported by the Exotic Wood Zone that has a range of the finest wood products. They guarantee 100% product satisfaction. This wood has great working characteristics; it has been coupled with brown coloration that makes this wood amongst the temperature zone hardwoods.

This wood is suitable for knife handles and tool handles.

9Payne Bros Custom Knives 5 INCH Leopard Wood Scale

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Highlight Features

• This wood is medium to dark brown and reddish colored.
• It is a great-looking hardwood.
• It is 2.45 ounces in weight.
• It has a straight grain and a coarse texture.
• The knife handles made with this wood are durable, as it is resistant to decaying faster.

The leopard wood scale is a fantastic choice for knife making. Leopardwood has many patterns. This type of wood is one of the most amazing treasures in the rainforest.

It is dark-reddish in color, heavy, and has a lacy figure.

10Aibote 1 Pair Spalted Maple Wood

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Highlight Features

• This wood is easy to work with.
• The spalted maple wood comprises beautiful patterns.
• It has moderate hardness and strength.
• You can carve and engrave on it.
• This wood is easier to cut, shape, and drill.
• It can also be used for handicrafts, bow handles, knife handles, slingshot handles.
• The pack contains two pieces of knife handle material.

This Aibote creation is made from maple wood and can be used to make knife handles, DIY tools for knives, and jewelry making.

Types of Woods for Knife Handles

Below is a list of the best type of wood you can use for making knife handles.

Oak

This is the most commonly used matter for making knife handles. When you come across a knife with an artistic design and is inscribed, it might be made with oak wood. It is strikingly pretty, strong, not very expensive, more durable, and simple.

This type of wood is available in light colors and is usually light brown.

Birch Laminate

This is made from birch trees that are commonly found anywhere. This type of wood is widely available everywhere. Its availability can be used in making various products, including knife handles, furniture, and even boats!

There are other reasons why it is used a lot by people. The birch trees are good for the environment; they grow faster as compared to other trees. The wood from these trees does not require processing and needs only a little maintenance.

This type of wood is the best for kitchen knives as it can bear continuous contact with water.

Rosewood

This wood is darker than oakwood, and it lies under the category of affordable wood for knife handles. This wood is also found across the world, but they have different characteristics in every region.

If you are thinking of buying rosewood, then you should think about getting an Indian rosewood. Indian rosewood is hard to crack, pest resistant, and it is more durable. This wood is the right choice for outdoor work, kitchen knife handles, and decorative knives.

This wood can be used for knives that are used daily.

Ebony

This wood is one of the most fabulous wood types that you will come across. Its unique quality is a decent dark tone. Other than being beautiful, this wood is strong and is highly resistant to pests. The durability of this knife makes it more deserving to be a customized knife.

This wood is mainly found in West Africa. The knife handles made using this wood are very expensive because of the design that can be made on it.

Bloodwood Satine

The bloodwood Satine is a stable and durable wood. It possesses a lovely color and a great feel. This wood is not widely used like oakwood and rosewood, but it is chosen by people who need a more red appearance to their knife handles.

This wood can be used for custom-made knives, hunting purposes, and kitchen knife handles. The only requirement for the products made with this wood is to maintain it regularly so that it does not lose its color.

Amboyna Burl

Although the name is not that common, amboyna burl is used by people having an expensive taste. This wood is one of the most expensive types of wood species. This wood is strong, looks elegant when if used for knife handles and is resistant to oxidation.

Knives made with this wood can not be used for daily purposes. Due to its cost, this is a great option for custom knives.

Bocote

This is an exotic type of wood that will make your knife look outstanding. It offers a yellow color background and has black stripes on it. Although bocote is durable, it is quite expensive because it is not commonly used for knife making.

Due to its appearance, this wood is ideal for making custom and ornamental knives. This knife needs to be taken care of if you want it to last long.

Cocobolo

This is a wood found in Central America. It is highly durable and is resistant to abuses caused by pests. The natural oils present inside it make it resistant to the effect of dry and wet conditions. It doesn’t matter how much you use it, and the cocobolo knife handle lasts for a long time.

It is found in many colors that include purple, red, yellow, orange, and brown. Although cocobolo is expensive, it is in high demand across the world. The durability of cocobolo can’t be matched with any other wood. This wood is the perfect option for your knife.

Why Choose Wood as Your Knife Handle?

Wood is a common material that has been used to make knife handles for a very long time. Knife collectors are mostly attracted to knives that have wooden handles. Knife collectors can see the beauty in the wooden handles. Wood as a knife handle has many benefits; some of them are listed below.

• Wood gives beauty to kitchen knives as compared to metals. It is easy to carve wood and engrave beautiful designs in it. This falls under the category of a classic choice for knives.
• It is easier to work with wood, like for cooking, women usually prefer using knives with wooden handles. It is easier to grip on and has fewer chances of slipping away.
• When compared with other materials, wood is less expensive.
• The quality of wooden knife handles is not low.
• A wooden-handled knife will last for a long time.

How to Make a Wood Knife Handle?

Creating a wood knife handle is not a daunting task; below, we have explained how you can create a beautiful wood knife handle.

1. Collect all the materials you will need to make the knife, including wood, power tools, and glue.
2. Mark out the shape of the blade on the steel piece and then start cutting it along the marked line with a hacksaw’s help.
3. Give an edge to your knife-shaped, shiny metal.
4. Lightly brush over the edges until they are of the right angle.
5. After brushing that, temper the metal.
6. Then weld the hilt in place, while the handle is bare metal; clamp it and start the process of polishing, sanding, and filing.
7. Drill five holes in hardwood chunks and then knock through to form a slit.
8. Slip each layer onto the handle, put some glue, and repeat the process.
9. To make the handle, start cutting vertically down the wood piece to form the shape of a handle.
10. Once you are satisfied with the shape, start sanding and then polish it with some wax.

Additional Information/FAQs

What kind of wood is good for knife handles?

Maple burl is the most commonly used handle material for knives nowadays.

What’s your favorite handle wood?

Many types of woods, like cocobolo, rosewood, and oakwood, are our favorites.

Why Use Wood For Knife Handles?

Wood lasts longer than any other material for knife handles.

Custom Knife Handle Materials?

Woods that are expensive, like cocobolo and leopardwood, are great for custom knives.

What can I use for knife handle pins?

You can use steel or iron pins.

Which one is good for a knife to handle Oak, Cherry, Hickory, Walnut?

Oakwood is the better option.

How to stabilize wood for knife handles?

You can use a Minwax wood hardener to stabilize wood for knife handles.

Conclusion

Suppose you are a collector of wooden knives or you are a home-cook. In that case, you must understand the advantages of having knives with wooden handles. Our list shows you the best wood that you can purchase for knife handles. All wooden-handled knives require maintenance.