Is stabilized wood impervious to moisture like a synthetic is?

Austin Thrasher

Austin Thrasher

Well-Known Member
Is stabilized wood impervious to moisture like a synthetic is?

Hey guys. Yep the title pretty much sums up my question. I have a customer wanting a chef knife and is asking about a rubber handle because of moisture concerns. This blade will be in Damascus and it goes against my grain to put a ugly handle on a nice blade. I have a nice piece of stabilized maple burl that I would like to put on it if the moisture concerns can be resolved. Thanks
 
NOPE!! When dealing with natural materials, stabilizing will MINIMIZE the issues that would occur with the same unstabilized material, but will not eliminate them. The level depends on the stabilizing, and how well the job was done. Unless stabilizing is "perfect", which it never is, there will be "pockets" missed, and those will take water if exposed to it. When producing "kitchen" cutlery, our biggest enemy is a dishwasher! It's wrecked more custom knives than stars in the sky! :) If you expose that maple to a cycle in a dishwasher.....it WILL BE wrecked.

Your customer should be worried about the blade too! When I produce "kitchen" cutlery, all warranties are void if the individual EVER puts it in a dishwasher.....which is in BIG BOLD PRINT on the paperwork sent with any "kitchen" cutlery.
 
The question has been answered already. But let the customer know that wood will hold up just fine to normal use and hand washing. It is primarily the heat of the dishwasher that kills knife handles. No quality knife should ever go into the dishwasher.
 
stabilized wood will absorb moisture similar to a sponge - but slower of course. Put it in a tub of water and it will soak up water. Take it out and let it sit, it will weep water out over some time.
Like Ed said already, it will minimize movement but not eliminate it. Look at an old piece of wood furniture and it often a bit creeky and loose. This is caused by swelling and shrinking from humidity over time that loosens the joints. Stabilized wood helps minimize humidity movement and ultimately helps minimize loose scales.
 
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