Thread: Favorite woods
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Old 10-12-2005, 07:19 PM   #17
Ellis Amdur
 
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Re: Favorite woods

Bubinga is beautiful and very hard - but very brittle. I have not found it safe for impact.
Lignum Vitae is now endangered - very hard to ethically acquired. It has a beautiful smell, and olive look - very hard and very heavy.
Similar to Lignum Vitae is vera wood. Greenish color that darkens. Very very hard and flexible. I had a six foot bo that flexed four inches or more with a strong swing, which was very different from kashi that doesn't flex much at all. Thus dangerous with close strikes. Vera has a resin that some (myself among them) is somewhat unpleasant - I'm allergic to it.
Greenheart is a wonderful wood - except the dust is toxic - very much so - which requires special care in working it.
Ipe is quite good - has a heavier (duller) feel than kashi. You need to frequently oil it, as it dries out and then develops hairline cracks. Quite durable and strong.
Osage Orange can make quite wonderful weapons - strong and flexible
Wenga (an African choclate colored wood is hard, but it breaks in dangerous dagger-like splinters).
Macassar ebony is great (and greatly expensive) - to my knowledge, all other ebony species are quite hard but very brittle - no good for impact.

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