Removable Onlay Scales

[Josh Crutchley]

That's some stunning maple!

IF your wood is still green, and because of that it moves or warps a bit in a year or two, it's always possible to remove the scales, sand the tang-contact side flat, and reattach. If it's severe, and the sanding/flattening takes a significant amount off, you can always add a thin G10 spacer to add dimension back.

I've not had warpage problems. I make sure the wood is dry with a moisture tester, and when finished to shape, it gets "bathed" in linseed oil, to seal it up proper.

They seem very dry, not sure how to know. I want to stabilize them first.

[Bolster]

The way to know how dry is with a wood moisture meter. They're cheap. Stabilizing is belt and suspenders, to me. I've just not had problems with dry wood that's been oiled. The amount of wood on a knife is so small, there's not much there to destabilize, warp or crack. If it were the size of a 2x6 beam, then yeah, stabilization would be necessary, but we're talking small bits of wood for a handle that is, as per this thread, replaceable. But if you're going to go scuba diving with your wood scales, then stabilized is safer (and heavier)!