Wooden knife collecting is very common today. Some people prefer to accumulate many different knives, while others are focused on special categories, e.g., custom knives, knives from a particular brand, camping knives, or pocket knives.
To satisfy their requests, you should offer various types of knives in your catalogue. How do you choose the best knife handle wood?
Let’s discuss in this article.
Knife handle wood: some considerations to make the right choice
Let us assume there’s not an absolute best wood for knife handles, but it depends on the purpose of the tool and the environment in which it is used and placed.
For example, a client who asks for camping knives will have different requirements compared with someone who needs kitchenware tools.
Camping knives, in fact, are generally used outdoors, so they must be compact, robust, and durable to support the user in any kind of adventure into the wilderness.
Kitchenware knives, on the contrary, are used in the house to prepare food, so they must be safe, functional, and aesthetically beautiful, as sometimes they are part of the furniture.
Therefore, when choosing the wood essence for your knife handles, you should first consider the type of knife you want to offer. Our advice is to have a wide variety of knife handle materials in your catalogue to give people more possibility of choice.
Your clients will appreciate having a vast selection of essences to choose from as well as many finishing options available. In this way, they will have the possibility to customize their tools according to their preferences and needs.
Here are some points to consider.
#1 Hardwoods or softwoods?
Wood can be divided into hardwood and softwood. The difference is that hardwood comes from flowering plants (angiosperm), while softwood comes from trees that have needles and produce cones (gymnosperm).
Both types of wood can be used for knife handles, but hardwoods are generally the preferred choice for their durability and prestige. Close-grained essences will resist staining and contamination, so they could be the best choice for knife handle wood.
Here are the most used woods for knife handles:
- Beech
- Ash
- Walnut
- Oak
- Cocobolo
- Olive
- Thermo Beech
- Thermo Ash
#2 What kind of finish do you want?
When selecting a wood essence for knife handles, you should also evaluate the finishing option you would want.
In fact, even if all kinds of finishes can be applied on each type of wood, some work better than others in certain situations and for specific purposes.
An expert manufacturer can advise you about the best finish for a certain type of wood to ensure a top-quality product.
Some special finishes, for example, can make wooden handles stronger and water repellent. They can be ideal for outdoor knives.
Other finishes can make the knife more elegant and prestigious, such as polymer coatings or laser engravings. These can be perfect for a collector’s item or an object of design.
Your manufacturer should be able to determine the ideal type of wood and implement the best treatment based on the desired result.
#3 Would you like to offer sustainable products?
Many studies have found that people are more concerned today than before COVID-19 about environmental issues. They have rediscovered the pleasure of being out in the open air after months of restrictions, and now they are more likely to change their habits toward a more sustainable way of life.
Therefore, they prefer buying sustainable objects that have a deeper connection with nature. Wood is a natural and renewable resource and if collected following the rules and standards for environmental protection, it can be considered completely sustainable.
When selecting wood for knife handles, be sure it is FSC certified. It is also important to ensure that the manufacturer you select has an environmentally friendly approach during each phase of the production process, doing his best to safeguard our planet, from manufacturing to distribution.
In this way, you would offer sustainable items in your catalogue, meeting the needs of more conscious modern consumers.
#4 Why is wood better compared with other materials?
Knife handles can be made of many materials. However, there are some reasons why wood is a better choice compared with plastic or metal.
It is prestigious
People can use their knives not just for cooking, camping, or collecting food but also consider them precious objects to collect and display in their homes.
Wood has no equal in terms of elegance and prestige. It provides a unique tactile and sensorial experience and lets people reconnect with nature and the past when people hunted animals to survive.
People love wooden knife handles because they represent both innovation and tradition.
It is safer
Wood is resistant to electrical conduction: if the knife is exposed to the sun for long or left near a hot pot, the handle remains cool. It is important to avoid burns both outdoors and in the kitchen. A metal or plastic tool, on the contrary, will become very hot or melt.
It also seems that wood has some antimicrobial properties, especially close-grained woods that are less likely to absorb moisture and bacteria.
Moreover, wood absorbs shocks and hits better, making the knife much more comfortable to use.
It is cost-effective
Wood doesn’t need moulds, which makes it very cost-effective. Moulds, in fact, are very expensive, and you must create a new one for every modification.
Therefore, producing wooden components requires a very low initial investment even if the material is extremely refined.
Wood is one of the oldest, most traditional raw materials for cutlery handles and is appreciated by most people today.
However, nature gives us many different essences, each one with its own peculiarities, and it can be difficult to select the best knife handle wood for your products.
You should find an empathetic and responsive partner who is ready to cooperate with you and give advice based on his experience.
If your supplier is specialized in wood manufacturing, you can be sure he has the right experience and competency to support you in the best way possible.
The Minelli Group has managed wood for more than 80 years and created many different outdoor products that have always satisfied each client’s requirements.
If you would like to have more information, book a free consultation with our experts right now!
