My take:
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That looks amazing, love the inlay! Wow!
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For family Christmas this year we are to give “one of our favorite things” in white elephant type gift exchange. So I had to make a few butterknives to give away. 
Thank you again for great pattern.
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You are most welcome! Thanks for sharing, glad to hear it is of use and interest to everyone! Merry Christmas!
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Beautiful, and they work. I’d be thrilled if a white elephant like that showed up in my mailbox!
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I made some too for Christmas gifts this year. Thank you so much for the files!
These are a mix of maple, cherry, walnut, purple heart, and koa.
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Those came out absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing! So awesome to see what people have created from these!
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So flippin’ awesome!
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Those are terrific.
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Who wouldn’t want to receive a gift like this? These are beautiful. Well done.
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How did you finish them?
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I’ve never tried it, but it’s hard to go wrong with linseed oil and beeswax 
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Or mineral oil and beeswax. Any butcher block table oil or cutting board oil works well too.
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I usually have a myriad of cutting board oils/waxes lying around (my keep-under-the-kitchen-sink-stuff is Howard Butcher Block conditioner: Amazon.com), so I give them an update, or a soak in a mineral oil bath every once in a while to maintain.
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For folks that haven’t worked with it, it’s worth noting that while raw linseed oil is food-safe, boiled linseed oil is not.
I cook up batches of board balm with mineral oil and beeswax about once a year - I include small jars with cutting boards and the like. Items with deep engraving just get mineral oil as needed.
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I couldn’t make it to the store, so I used what I had on hand - a mix of coconut oil and beeswax. The only liquid coconut oil I had was raspberry flavoured, so these smell like raspberries now 
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That would make an unusual gift to a host: loaf of bread, custom engraved tray, cream cheese, fruit jam, and a wooden knife that smells like the fruit. (I don’t recommend making the loaf of bread in the GF, although there are stories of gingerbread…)
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Thanks for the compliments guys! My only regret with them…I didn’t make enough…for me. I don’t get any of these ones. I’ll be designing a few of my own next batch as well. I love wooden kitchen things!
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Wanting to join in the fun, I asked ChatGPT about food-safety of the woods sold on ocoochhardwoods.com.
| Wood Type | Safe for Blade? | Safe for Handle? | Notes | PPE Required for Shaping | Laser Cutting Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alder |  Yes |
Yes |
Suitable for light-duty use; soft for heavy-duty applications. | None | Generally Safe |
| Ash | Yes |
Yes |
Good durability; traditional utensil wood. | None | Generally Safe |
| Aspen |  Caution |
Caution |
Very soft; not recommended for durability in blade or handle. | None | Generally Safe |
| Basswood | Yes |
Caution |
Very soft; not recommended for long-term durability. | None | Safe, commonly used |
| Beech | Yes |
Yes |
Excellent choice; traditionally used for kitchen items. | None | Generally Safe |
| Black Limba | Caution |
Yes |
Dust can cause skin irritation; better for handles only. | Mask, gloves | Ventilate: May release irritants |
| Bloodwood |  No |
Yes |
Contains irritants; unsuitable for food contact. | Mask, gloves | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
| Bubinga | No |
Yes |
Can cause skin and respiratory irritation; use for handles only. | Mask, gloves | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
| Butternut | Yes |
Yes |
Softer than walnut but food-safe. | None | Generally Safe |
| Bolivian Rosewood | No |
Caution |
Contains oils that can leach; avoid for food contact. | Mask, gloves | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
| Cherry | Yes |
Yes |
Excellent choice; naturally food-safe. | None | Generally Safe |
| Curly Maple | Yes |
Yes |
Excellent choice; decorative and food-safe. | None | Generally Safe |
| Canarywood | No |
Caution |
Known skin irritant; avoid food contact. | Mask, gloves | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
| Hard Maple | Yes |
Yes |
Excellent choice; top tier for food contact. | None | Generally Safe |
| Koa | Yes |
Yes |
Food-safe and durable; prized for its beauty and workability. | None | Generally Safe |
| Leopardwood | No |
Yes |
Potential irritant; handle only. | Mask, gloves | Ventilate: Potential irritants |
| Mahogany | Caution |
Yes |
Some species are safer (e.g., Honduran Mahogany); research and seal properly. | Mask | Ventilate: May release fumes |
| Padauk | No |
Yes |
Can cause reactions; use for handles only. | Mask, gloves | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
| Poplar | Yes |
Yes |
Safe but soft; may not be durable. | None | Generally Safe |
| Purpleheart | No |
Yes |
Contains alkaloids; use for handles only. | Mask, gloves | Ventilate: Toxic fumes may occur |
| Red Cedar | No |
No |
Oils can leach and affect taste; avoid entirely. | Mask | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
| Red Oak | Caution |
Yes |
Open pores absorb food particles and harbor bacteria; not ideal. | None | Ventilate: May char easily |
| Tigerwood | No |
Yes |
Known irritant; handle only. | Mask, gloves | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
| Walnut | Yes |
Yes |
Excellent choice; watch for nut allergies in gifted items. | None | Generally Safe |
| White Limba | Caution |
Yes |
Similar to Black Limba; better for handles. | Mask, gloves | Ventilate: Irritant fumes possible |
| White Oak | Yes |
Yes |
Better than Red Oak due to closed pores. | None | Generally Safe |
| Wenge | No |
Yes |
Toxic splinters and irritants; handle only. | Mask, gloves | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
| Yellowheart | Caution |
Yes |
Limited data on food safety; use with caution. | Mask | Ventilate: Limited safety data |
| Zebrawood | No |
Yes |
Known skin irritant; handle only. | Mask, gloves | Toxic fumes – Avoid |
Key recommendations for blades:
- Best choices: Hard Maple, Beech, Cherry, Walnut, White Oak
- Always seal wood properly with food-safe finish
- When in doubt, stick with traditional food-safe hardwoods
Key recommendations for handles:
- Most woods are safe for handles when properly sealed
- Exotic woods can add beautiful contrast to simple maple/beech blades
- Consider allergies/sensitivities for gifted items
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What a fantastic list (and use of Chat GPT)!
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