Lignum Vitae? Heaviest/Strongest wood I've seen

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I bought this wood on ebay several years ago. I was told it is Lignum Vitae, but the seller was not a wood dealer so who knows. Over the years I have shown it to a number of exotic wood experts. Each one guessed a different type of wood, and then recanted after feeling how heavy it is.

I finally cut the piece. It is hard cutting and the splinters are like steel. The sawdust is so heavy that the dust collector will not pick it up.

Lignum Vitae was used for bearings on sailing ships because the wood was so tough and was self lubricating. I was told that real lignum vitae sinks in water. So I tried. A small cut off piece sank right to the bottom in a jar of water.
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I had 4 blocks that were each 6"x3&3/8"x1&1/8" in size. They each weighed a pound.
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Next I got curious how strong the wood was. I had cut off a strip that was 1/16" thick with some hairline checks. Then holding one end I stacked the 4 blocks that weighed a total of 4lbs on the other end. The weight barely flexed the strip.
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What do you think?
Pretty tough stuff!
 
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In years gone by, they used it to make main bearings in subs. You are right about the weight, it took two equal sized balsa tree to tie it to in order to float it down the river.
 
I've heard it was used for shaft bearings and is slick when wet. Also have heard it is brittle?
But then again I think it was used for mallets. Sometimes brown with yellow?

I think I have some. A large table base. I really thought someone filled it with metal(lead) when I got it it is so heavy.

MBehnke
 
I always thought it was darker. All the pieces I had ever seen were nearly black with some occasional lighter yellow patches.
 
It is starting to look like it might not be true lignum vitae but something similar. A number of woodworkers are chiming in on another forum with photos. A lot of similarities, but a few minor differences as well.

Here is a photo sent in by Justin Mercier followed by a sanded piece of my wood.
lignum1.jpg

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I have some pieces with very similar properties that I picked up in Jamaica three years ago. One of the pieces is a rough cut piece of a branch appriximately 4" in diameter and about 10-12" in length. The man I purchased it from told me it was a type of Ironwood. I need to have someone knowledgeable look at it and tell me rather or not I'll be able to use it for anything. Just as your pieces, it's as heavy as a rock and sinks like one too.

Murph
 
There are a number of woods called Lignum Vitae.
Most of the stuff I have is Argentinian Lignum. It looks close to what you've posted.
But it could, also, be Verawood, another type of Lignum. But not "True Lignum". Neither is the Argentinian.

Phillipine Lignum is the dark brown stuff.

I am a Lignum freak. I love the way this stuff smells when cutting/sanding it.
I have numerous blocks of it.

Here's my very first (JD) Grind In knife, which had originally been handled in Natural Canvas Micarta.
And, as you can see from the second pic, it can change color with exposure to sunlight.
 
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After a lot of input and checking out photos from the importers it is 90% sure that this wood is Ipe.

The wood is not aromatic. Only very slight oily feel, and matches a lot of photos I found online of Ipe

It seems to have a lot of different names used for it. This is the list I found on one of the importer sites.
Brazilian Walnut / Ipe / Lapacho
Scientific Name:
Canella imbuia / Tabebuia / Tabebuia serratifolia
Other Names and Species:
Amapa
Brazilian Walnut
Cortez
Flor Amarillo
Greenheart
Green Ironwood
Guayacan Polvillo
Hakai
Ipe
Ironwood
Madera Negra
Polvillo
Tabebuia
Tahuari
 
Is lignum hard to get? I like the sounds of it. And does it need to be stabilized? What does it look like finished and on a knife handle?
 
Argentine lignum is pretty widely available. The genuine is endangered and heavily controlled. Both will just sneer at any attempt to stabilize them.
 
I had a BRKT knife in a pass around with Lignum Vitae scales. I really liked it. It is supposed to be the hardes wood around. A little trivia, Lignum Vitae is actually translated (latin) as the wood of Life...
 
jawilliams0425 said:
Is lignum hard to get? I like the sounds of it. And does it need to be stabilized? What does it look like finished and on a knife handle?
Click to expand...

Mike & Ann Sheffield have the dark stuff. For Orders Only: 1-800-874-7007 8AM-5PM EST
www.sheffieldsupply.com is their Site, but it's PDF.
Check into it if ya like.

As for the other stuff, do you have a Rocklers Woodworkers Store nearby?
 
I used some for scales shortly after I started making knives. It buffed out and looked like tiger eye. I looked at it the next morning and split all to heck. First and last time I will use it.
 
The lignum vitae was also very popular for years becayuse of use in sawmills. It was often used for guides on huge band saw blades.
No, I'm sure it cannot be stabilized, but it doesn't need to be it is filled with wax. For anyone who wanted to use a glue with this wood, foget it, well unless you got some real specialty glue whiac I believe is or was being made by a company called Industrial Formulators. These people by ehe way make some fabulous glues. I found that it's weight on smaller knives often made them handle heavy . Frank
 
LV can crack or check, just like any other wood that isn't completely dry when used.
But it can be pretty hard to tell when Lignum is dry.
It's not wax inside, it's the natural oil.

Best bet is to get a piece/block/turning stock, whatever, scrape the wax of all sides, but leave it on the ends. Let it sit for several months in yer basement.

As for "gluing", I epoxied those scales on that Grind In knife almost 3 years ago, and there's no sign of them coming off.
As for gluing one piece to another? Ya got me there, I don't know if it can be done, or even if it should be.

I keep this up, people are gonna start calling me the Lignum Man!:eek:
:D
 
Raymond Richard said:
I used some for scales shortly after I started making knives. It buffed out and looked like tiger eye. I looked at it the next morning and split all to heck. First and last time I will use it.
Click to expand...

I've heard that a lot about LV scales. I don't think Ray would use wood that was not completely dry.
 
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