Osage orange is a name for a certain tree that produces large, nobby, green, orange-like “fruits” and beautiful tight grained wood. The fruits are not of an edible nature, but the wood is superb.
Osage has a lot of history attached to it. It was highly prized among the first peoples of this land and it is still so among the archers of today. The bows made from osage are often pieces of art, having been worked out of a twisty and knotty portion of the tree. Straightly grained sections of wood are especially sought after. Strength, flexibility and durability are all claimed by this wood that is also known as bodock or hedge apple, to name two.
The freshly polished wood is most often bright yellow and as it is exposed to sunlight will mellow and deepen into a rich orange-brown hue.
The wood in the knife above almost has a three dimensional effect and this handle has been “aged” to achieve that grand appearance. The knife that this particular osage handle calls home is a custom one and is made after the “HU” knife on the Past Work page. It’s a versatile hunting knife design with a lot of power.
The copper-based mosaic pins really flow into the osage to create a simply deluxe piece.
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