How much do your chopsticks weigh?

[Ratatosk]

I got sick of bent softwood chopsticks from takeout places a while back, so i took a few minutes in the shop and made myself three pairs of sticks out of quartersawn oak. (They are tapered, so the quartersawn is essentially theoretical after you shave through the growth rings.) They didn’t cost a penny, are finished with mineral oil, they’re 100% organic, biodegradable and locally sourced. Each stick can literally support a cinderblock, and a pair weighs ten grams. Does anyone have Ti or other commercially-available chopsticks they’d be willing to weigh to compare these to?

 

[Matthew / BPL]

That’s lighter than my 17g Ti chopsticks.

[bradmacmt]

Beautiful. I’d love a pair of those.

But I’d like to hear about that Wa handled kitchen knife at the back of the photo…

[Jerry Adams]

the ceramic bowl looks interesting

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

I would think that oak is too pourous for chopstick?  Just wondering.

[Ratatosk]

I guess I can post the rest of my kitchenware, if you guys want…

Jon – I would not use red oak. White oak is open-pored but very resistant to liquids. Suitably shaped and coated with a sealer like mineral oil, they’ve worked fine for the month or so I’ve used them – no stains, no evidence of food particles or sauce soaking into the wood – and I have no worries. You could in all likelihood get the weight even further down using a species of maple or cherry, which are my local closed-pore woods.

I’ve seen boutique mahogany and teak chopsticks (exactly what species would take a dendrologist), and they’re some of the most porous woods I know.

[Bonzo]

Most people don’t consider species when working with implements like this; I, too, see some very porous woods being made into eating utensils. I might be a bit hesitant about long-term use of an open-pored specimen of white oak, but overall it’s still a very safe wood.  Beech would be a good choice, as would some nice, hard maple.

Strangely, I haven’t thought about making any of these…and I have a lot of wood shop at my disposal for a few more weeks.  Might have to go through the scrap bins and whip up a few sets for personal use.  Thanks for the idea. 👍

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

From an article on recommended woods for cutting boards.  FYI some exotic woods are actually toxic.

Maple
Beech
Teak
Walnut
Ash
Acacia wood cutting board
Cherry
Pecan
Bamboo

[Ratatosk]

If Jon wants to be right, let’s just let him be right. He won’t have to use my chopsticks.

Teak and some species of acacia are toxic as hell. Teak/mahogany dust and residue is a very common allergy, too; I can’t work with any species of it. Most mahoganies and teaks – lots of tropical hardwoods – are full of naturally-occuring pesticides, as tobacco is, that are poisons. I am a cabinetmaker and woodworker and I do not use any exotic hardwoods at all, though some of the cypress I use for kumiko panels is imported.

You could not pay me to use bamboo for a cutting board. It’s chock-full of silicates, and it’s not a wood; you’re cutting on phenolic resin or glue as much as you are vegetable matter. I haven’t seen any historical examples of countries with naturally-occuring bamboo using it to cut on, bar an ad-hoc surface.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

First, I want to apologize if offended anyone with my post.  I think that the DIY hardwood chopsticks is a pretty cool idea.  The material cost is minimal relative to the labor, so I was wondering what wood to use.  In thinking of alternative woods, I came across this list of woods used in cutting boards.  I have some maple at home and plan to make a set from that.  Again, I apologize if my tone came across as negative or abusive.

[Roger Caffin]

As a resident defender of Oz native things, I want to point out that saying that ‘some species of acacia are toxic as hell’ is a bit too general and rather misleading. To be sure, some species such as the Acacia Nilotica can be toxic, because the leaves of Acacia Nilotica trees protect the plant from predators by producing a cyanogenic poison. But that is not a common variety. We burn a lot of dead acacia wood (A parramattensis) in our internal combustion stove, and have never had any problems at all. Nor does anyone else here.

On the other hand, acacia wood is strong and heavy, and you need carbide-tipped tools to handle it. It’s rather fun stuff to work with.

On a more general note, inhaling fine wood dust is never going to do anyone any good, regardless of species. In fact, inhaling any fine dust is unwise, wood or otherwise.
Cheers

[W I S N E R !]

And all the guy wanted was someone to say:

 

Pretty chopsticks, well done.

 

(I do chopsticks as a side project with some of my ceramics students, to be paired with ramen bowls. It’s great how making something so simple brings joy.)

[BlackHatGuy]

As requested, my Keith titanium chopsticks weigh a whopping 47 grams. Not sure why I have them, I never use them. Have never used them.

But your chopsticks are beautiful, not just some mass produced junk that’s so prevalent today (like my chopsticks…), so thanks for sharing.

[Roger Caffin]

Pretty chopsticks, well done.
+1. Elegant.
Cheers

[JCH]

Only on BPL can we have a “contest” about how much your chopsticks weigh…that turns into a discussion of what type(s) of wood are/are not suitable to chopsticks, that yields some (possibly) bruised feelings followed by heartfelt apologies, a discussion about material toxicity, and finally returns to the “contest”.

This is why I like BPL :)   Esoteric R Us.

[bradmacmt]

Yeah, no reason good straight grain white oak shouldn’t make excellent sticks.

As to cutting boards, softer is generally better. The vast majority of knife dulling comes from board contact. My personal boards are all Hinoki, but if I didn’t have those my second choice would probably be something like Larch or Sitka Spruce. A little review of the Janka scale is always interesting, but end grain throws a curve ball into the scale :)

Bamboo boards – not something that would darken my kitchen!

[Matthew / BPL]

I’m curious what foods people are eating with chopsticks on trail. I’ve been a strong proponent of spoons for a while but I just realized my favorite trail food (FFS’s peanut slaw) would be great with chopsticks. Ramen makes sense too but I’m not a fan of instant ramen when backpacking.

[W I S N E R !]

I’m curious what foods people are eating with chopsticks on trail.

I always have chopsticks on short trips. Cooking good ramen and/or soba (better brands, bringing garnishes, meat, egg, etc.) is a staple for me on overnights. I look forward to it.

Chopsticks are in the “gear I’ve never weighed” category because they would only come on shorter, casual trips where I’m not concerned about packing weight and fun/luxury items. Conversely, they don’t make it into my fastpacking kit because they’re redundant to a spoon.

 

 

[Matthew / BPL]

It never occurred to me to bring soba backpacking. I love buckwheat soba. That’s a great idea. Thanks!

[W I S N E R !]

All handmade.

[Matthew / BPL]

That looks so pleasant.

[bradmacmt]

That looks so pleasant.

That’s the thoughtful, true, understatement of the month award winner…

[BlackHatGuy]

“This is why I like BPL :)   Esoteric R Us.”

Some guy: Hey, my girlfriend and I finally tied the knot!

Friends: Wow, congratulations! I hope you two have a great life together!

BPL nerds: Wow, congratulations! If you know how much she weighs we can calculate the thermal efficiency of your comforters and let you know how much extra heat you can expect on cold nights! And by the way, that wedding ring looks a bit wide, you could probably cut a few grams if you made it thinner. Are you getting dyneema sheets for the bed? …

[Author]

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