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  #1  
Old 12-28-2005, 03:59 AM
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Andrew Garrett Andrew Garrett is offline
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Let's talk about Dymondwood.

When I first stumbeled into TKN forums, the adheasive testing thread which was going for so long was very hot.

I had already bought a few items from Jantz with which to get started on my first knife, including a couple of pieces of Dymondwood.

As I was finishing that first project, I read a post in the adheasives thread in which one of the many who offered comments, tossed a bit of humor in regarding Dymondwood. You see, the testers used Dymondwood for many of their tests, and this fella joked that they should be sure and use it all up so that it never found its way onto a knife (paraphrased).

I was crushed! Here I was, making my first knife with materials purchased from a professional knifemaker's supply house, and now I find out that my father's new knife is being made out of crap!

After drying my tears, I poured through all the galleries and forums and classifieds, and I saw no Dymondwood. How could I have been so niave?!

I finished that knife. It was rough and flawed--gouged with the grinding stone I cut the bevels on, but I was proud! I remember everything about that project. The smell of steel dust and epoxy, but also the aroma of Dymondwood on the 1 x 30 grinder. When my step-son made his first knife, the smell of Dymondwood filled the garage once again. Last night, I dug it out for a third time to make a small tanto. As soon as I made the first cut on the band saw, I grinned. It brought me back to that first knife and the magic I felt when I shaved hair off my arm with it and realized that I had made something usefull out of scrap.

So my question is this: Why do we dislike Dymondwood so much? All the major suppliers carry it. It's made of hardwood. It's stable. And, while many color combos look cheesy, some of it is quite pretty. It works easily. It polishes great, with a deep iridescense... I guess I just want to know what I'm missing. I know it's cheap, but so is Micarta, which is used by many makers, and it's not even as pretty (arguably).

I've seen gun stocks made of this stuff last for many, many years. Does it fall apart on a knife? What's the deal?

Fill me in.

BTW My favorite is Indigo with black ink between the layers of wood.

Hey.... Dymondwood KITH!


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  #2  
Old 12-28-2005, 05:07 AM
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i used to use it and still have some photos on my site but as i get more money for materials i see my self going more twords the burls and such i have seen a piece that was old and un used that had craked all up but it was keept in a moist work shop for years before that happend if its not left wet or at to high a humidity it should be ok ( the sca ppl love the blue at lest around here )


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  #3  
Old 12-28-2005, 06:55 AM
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If you notice, most all China, Pakistani,India cheapies have diamondwood handles. It has just been used so much on these super low end knives that it has become to be equated with "junk". Too bad, some of it is kinda purty. Most people doubt that it will ever recover its former glory.


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Old 12-28-2005, 08:17 AM
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I used to use Dymondwood (Pakkawood) a lot for hunting knives and they were very popular.

Strange that this should come up now.

Just a few days ago a local contractor came into my shop and ordered a very fancy EDC folder. He insisted on Dymondwood, and picked out the pieces he wanted from one of my catalogs. I showed him my rather large stock of wood, ivory, bone, etc., but he wouldn't settle for anything else.

HDN has it right. All the cheap imported knives used the material and turned everyone off.

I like it myself, it's very stable, long lasting, cheap to buy and makes a beautiful handle, but I wouldn't have put it on an expensive folder.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Quality lies with the maker.
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  #5  
Old 12-28-2005, 08:39 AM
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circlepknives circlepknives is offline
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Well I guess it is up to us to bring it back then! What is needed is for a maker to make a knife with Dymondwood, one that just blows you away, make sure it doesn't "look" cheap, show other makers that Dymond wood can be used for other than just cheap POS knives from overseas.

Now we just have to find a fool er... great maker who is willing to take on the task!


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Old 12-28-2005, 08:58 AM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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I agree with the general concensus here, there's nothing wrong with Dymondwood in terms of durability and stability. It mostly suffers from being seen on knives of poor quality and from being made in so many circus-like color combos.

Aside from that, Dymondwood is made from Birch and is basically just a nice, shiny piece of plywood. For this reason alone - and despite it's other good points - it will never be seen as a high quality handle material.....


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Old 12-28-2005, 01:18 PM
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AUBE AUBE is offline
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i agree with whats been said too...its a decent material but brings thoughts of cheap import knives to mind.

i still use it on ocasion but mostly solid colors like black/charcoal. i did some experiments with selling it last summer on ebay. i made some near identical knives up, some had micarta handles, some had cocobolo or bocote, and some had dymondwood. in each case the micarta and cocobolo/bocote knives sold for about double what the dymondwood did, had double the bids and about triple people "watching" the item. so for me it doesnt pay to use dymondwood much

Last edited by AUBE; 12-28-2005 at 04:59 PM.
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Old 12-28-2005, 04:12 PM
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I'm a new maker too and reading Andrews post took me back to my beginnings. The first kit knive I built had a Diamondwood handle. I feel the same way as everybody here.
Andrew....
I'm IN

Diamondwood KITH


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  #9  
Old 12-28-2005, 04:30 PM
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LOL that's the ticket Dwane!


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  #10  
Old 12-28-2005, 05:46 PM
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Last Christmas, all my relatives got a fillet knife with a pakkawood handle . I still have a few slabs left. Some of the more gaudy colors actually looked nice on a fillet knife...but then again, I have been acused of being somewhat wierd in the past. My biggest complaint is the residue left in the shop afterwards.

Bring on the KITH!


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  #11  
Old 12-28-2005, 05:52 PM
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Well... I have to agree with the group. Dymondwood suffers a stygma problem. The reputation has been damaged by cheap products, much like Gucci's reputation when K Mart started selling its products years ago.

Nonetheless, there are a few (few, I say) great colors like the blue I mentioned in the original post. So, I vow to use it when I can on knives that will be made with as much care and attention to detail as any I make. I will not pull it out for what I consider 'low cost' jobs only. I'll offer it as a standard option without spreading the stygma to my future clients.

When I finish the one I'm on now, I'll post it in the Display Case for your comments, good or bad.

Start settin' up that KITH Dwane! If makers answer Paul's challenge with a super-great knife made with a Dymondwood handle, it should be a great boost for the ol' reputation!

Cheers!


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  #12  
Old 12-28-2005, 05:58 PM
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i have been known to use odd colors of it just becuse i was told it wouldnt look good the orange one sold real fast :-) the layer of colord dust in the shop is a bit much

heres the grinder a week after grinding a smur......i meen dymond wood

http://dragoncutlery.bravepages.com/...rinderside.jpg


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  #13  
Old 12-28-2005, 07:54 PM
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Wow! That's a hella complicated looking grinder! Old washing maching guts? How big is that contact wheel?

I hear ya' when it comes to the dusts! Smells better than bone or horn though! Horn is just nasty! Smells like someone's been files toenails in my shop.


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  #14  
Old 12-28-2005, 08:28 PM
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10 inch wheel and every pice of scrap metal i had that i thought would make it sturdy it never got all the vibes out of it so i rebuilt it from scratch and its sooooo much better now i think that moter was from the washer or dryer that died here mom and dad gave them to me as thay went personaly give me bone or antler any day i seam to be alergic to dymond wood probubly from using it for most of my knives for a fue years and little to no dust coletchon

heres the new one no vibrachon hight adjustable with a big acme screw so i can get the two work rests so i can get them to the hight i want all the old wheels and berrings from the old new tracking and spring tenchoning so i can change belts without a big produchon

http://dragoncutlery.bravepages.com/newgrinder.JPG


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  #15  
Old 12-28-2005, 08:40 PM
Jason Cutter Jason Cutter is offline
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The Dymondwood argument has been done to death but the basics are as follows (IMHO).

The association with cheapo knives is hard to get past.

HOWEVER, the one-coloured Dymondwood, oak, ebony, walnut etc. etc. are all quite tasteful. In some cases, the handles have been mistaken for Cocobolo or other real woods.

Use the multicoloured ones and you might find you lose some friends quickly !!! We will figure out some weird and cruel punishments for your sin...

If in doubt, use Dymondwood on kitchen knives.

Anecdote...
My first knife i bought from JS Bladesmith Shawn Mcintyre was a forged hunter with Dymondwood handles. I consider it a collector piece, so there you go.

Jason.


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