Huong (Padauk) Wa Handles: Colour, Species & Fit

Is Huong (Padauk) right for your knife? Choose it when you want a warm, orange-red handle with visible dark streaks in the grain, and you are happy for that colour to deepen over time. It pairs naturally with red copper rings and a black or marbled horn ferrule. If the exact species matters to you, read the identity note below before ordering.

Huong (Padauk) wa handle with a black buffalo horn ferrule and a red copper ring — Catalogue rendering, not a photograph, of our Huong (Padauk) design with a black horn ferrule and a 3 mm red copper ring. Each handle is made to order, and grain and colour vary between pieces.

Huong (Padauk) at a glance

Name and species: our catalogue lists this wood as “Huong (Padauk)” and does not declare a botanical name for it. “Padauk” is a trade name used for several Pterocarpus species: The Wood Database lists African padauk as Pterocarpus soyauxii and Burma padauk as Pterocarpus macrocarpus.
Why the species matters: the figures differ. The Wood Database gives a Janka hardness of 1,710 lbf (7,580 N) for African padauk and 2,150 lbf (9,550 N) for Burma padauk, so we do not quote one number for our Huong.
Trade rules: the CITES Checklist lists Pterocarpus spp. from African populations in Appendix II since 23 February 2023, for logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood and transformed wood, and lists red sanders, Pterocarpus santalinus, separately. Whether a rule applies depends on species, origin, product and destination, so ask before shipping wood across borders.
Price: Huong sits in the configurator’s Standard tier, shown at $55 for a mid-size build with a black horn ferrule (captured 26 October 2026). A marbled horn ferrule adds $5; turquoise or pink coral adds $18.
Handle length: it follows the knife, not the wood. Our wa handle size guide starts Compact at about 105–115 mm, Mid-size 115–125 mm, Chef 125–135 mm and Long 140–150 mm and over, and calls these starting ranges, not ceilings.

How it looks, and how it ages

In the configurator’s material photo, our Huong is a bright orange-red with fine dark streaks running along the grain. Expect it to change. The Wood Database describes African padauk as starting a vibrant reddish orange and darkening substantially to a reddish or purplish brown, and Burma padauk as darkening to a golden brown. A UV-inhibiting finish may slow the shift but will not stop it.

Our separate Amboyna Burl option is a different catalogue entry, declared as Pterocarpus indicus in burl form; see the amboyna burl guide if you want the same family of colour with heavy figure.

Ferrule and rings

We build our Huong designs for harmony: one ring metal per handle, an end cap that matches the ferrule, and only a few rings. Red copper follows the wood’s warmth, and turquoise works here as a complement to the orange. The current designs use black or marbled buffalo horn, pink coral or turquoise ferrules, most with red copper rings.

Caring for a Huong handle

Wipe the handle after washing, dry the ferrule joint, and keep the knife out of the dishwasher and standing water. Ask which finish is on the handle before applying oil or wax. Oil is not a repair for movement or a gap at the ferrule.

Fit and measurement

Keep a secure installed handle installed. Close side and spine photographs of its junction can show accessible height, thickness, alignment, and condition, but they are partial observations rather than hidden tang dimensions. If the tang is already exposed, record exactly three primary dimensions in millimetres: usable shoulder- or seating-line-to-tip length, near-shoulder height, and face-to-face thickness at that same station.

Use the configurator to choose the wood, ferrule, shape, and size. Measurements and photographs are optional before purchase and can be added or corrected on the order page after payment until bench work starts.

Huong (Padauk) handles you can order now

Each is made to order and cut to your knife. To compare Huong with the other Standard-tier woods, including Purpleheart and Tabaek, see the best wa handle woods guide, or build your own in the configurator.