Mulberry for tool handles

[Todd McGee]

Many years ago I was given a supply of Mulberry wood. Pieces are about ten inches wide and 2 inches thick and hard as stone. It burns like the dickens when cut on the tasble saw, even with as fresh blade and well-tuned saw. I think maybe the burning is due to a high sugar content.

It's not the prettiest wood in the world, just kind of a bland tan in color and not a ton of interesting figure, surprisingly.

Anyhow my question is whether mulberry would make a decent material for tool handles? I have some lathe chisels and other pieces that need new handles. Is this material stable enough for handle-making? Or maybe the head of a mallet?

Does anyone have experience working with mulberry?

[roger wiegand]

I've turned some bowls from it. The bright yellow color of the fresh wood quickly fades to brown, the figure on the pieces I had was quite nice and it had some nice spalting. I didn't find it to be especially difficult to turn, and it dried without any excessive or weird warping. I'd think it might work quite nicely as a handle. Lathe tool handles are a pretty undemanding application, I've never had a problem with any of the dozens of woods that I've used (I like having all my handles be different to help me spot the tool I want). I like osage orange for handles I'm going to hit with a mallet.

[Patrick C Daugherty]

I have never used Mulberry, because I have never come across it, except as fenceposts. The tech specs on Mulberry are very similar to Black Locust, which I have used for about 10 or 12 socket chisel handles. I like the Black Locust for handles was they take a nice finish and have held up well to mallet use. If I had Mulberry and needed a chisel handle, I would give it a try.