Wood choice for wooden utensils

[OneStaple]

Hey All,

I was goofing off in the shop yesterday and made a honey dipper out of holly that I had cut down because, hey, I like honey and why not. But the raw wood has a significant "wood" smell. I like the smell, but worry that it implies that it will impart a flavor to honey.

Similarly, I made some chopsticks years ago, and I noticed that the unfinished ones had a definite "flavor" unto themselves when eating with them. Granted, I don't think I noticed the flavor mixed in with the food, but rather when my mouth is in direct contact with the chopsticks (which obviously is frequent with such an implement).

I know there is info out there about toxic woods for kitchen use, but I'm having trouble finding info on woods that do/don't impart a flavor of their own. I'm sure spoon makers must deal with this. So what woods are best to use to avoid getting an unwanted flavor from the wood itself? And is mineral oil and/or paraffin/beeswax usually sufficient to block this, or would something that hardens (walnut oil, BLO, shellac, etc...not saying I'd use these necessarily) need to be used?

I know there are large arguments about what is ok to use for finishes on kitchen items, and I'm not looking for a debate on that. I've read the pros/cons of what can be used.

Thanks,
Tyler

[Admiral]

I use maple, tight grain, stout, pretty neutral wood.

[Steve Friedman]

Your taste buds may be more refined than mine, but I have never tasted a wood flavor in the spoons I have made.  I most use cherry and walnut, but that's just because of availability and how easy they are to make, but have made them from at least a dozen different types of wood.

But, some species do have distinctive smell, so why not different taste?  

By the way, I almost always use walnut oil with a little citrus solvent, but that probably because that's how I was taught.  I have also used some wax/oil combination that I bought from a spoon maker, but prefer the plain oil.

Honey dipper huh?  That's an interesting idea.  I'm always looking for different utensils to make.

Steve

[OneStaple]

Yeah, I figured maple would probably be one of the safer bets. And I could guess at a bunch of others that seem likely. I just haven't done enough utensils to know any good/bad woods in terms of flavor imparted. I've seen some carving guides that list pine as a potential wood due to softness, but I can't see that having a neutral flavor, especially if put in your mouth. Bleh. Maybe I'm wrong.

I'm sure any finish, even mineral oil, helps significantly with blocking any wood flavor.

Picture of honey dipper attached, just for fun. Fairly simple/common design, as I was just playing and seeing if I could make one. No finish at the moment.

Tyler

[MichaelMouse]

I'm sure any finish, even mineral oil, helps significantly with blocking any wood flavor.

Not really.  Oils that cure may "block,"  but mineral oil, which does not, may add some dissolved and retained.

[hairy]

Hey All,

I was goofing off in the shop yesterday and made a honey dipper out of holly that I had cut down because, hey, I like honey and why not.  But the raw wood has a significant "wood" smell.  I like the smell, but worry that it implies that it will impart a flavor to honey.

Similarly, I made some chopsticks years ago, and I noticed that the unfinished ones had a definite "flavor" unto themselves when eating with them.  Granted, I don't think I noticed the flavor mixed in with the food, but rather when my mouth is in direct contact with the chopsticks (which obviously is frequent with such an implement).

I know there is info out there about toxic woods for kitchen use, but I'm having trouble finding info on woods that do/don't impart a flavor of their own.  I'm sure spoon makers must deal with this.  So what woods are best to use to avoid getting an unwanted flavor from the wood itself?  And is mineral oil and/or paraffin/beeswax usually sufficient to block this, or would something that hardens (walnut oil, BLO, shellac, etc...not saying I'd use these necessarily) need to be used?

I know there are large arguments about what is ok to use for finishes on kitchen items, and I'm not looking for a debate on that.  I've read the pros/cons of what can be used.

Thanks,
Tyler

My go to for kitchen utensils is ash.

[SteveS]

Any tight grained wood will do, but my preferred species is African blackwood since it is very dense, hard, impervious to water damage and I have a couple hundred pounds of the stuff on hand.

[FrankAtl]

Any tight grained wood will do, but my preferred species is African blackwood since it is very dense, hard, impervious to water damage and I have a couple hundred pounds of the stuff on hand.

Any chance you might want to sell a few pounds?

[SteveS]

Any chance you might want to sell a few pounds?

Sure can. I've sold around 4000 lbs of the stuff so far. I'll be returning home at the end of the week. I can either supply turning squares or I have a variety of different sized blanks.