Dagger Blank on the Way! Now what?

[SShepherd]

Lifetime of the wood? Do you mean how long it will last ?
I'd suggest a hardwood. Let it sit around your house for 3 or 4 weeks, so it will get climatized to the humidity of your house. Put a green wood ona knife handle, and it's going to shrink, super dry wood, and it's going to swell from moisture absorbtion.
There's always "stabalized " wood.. google W.S.S.I. -A great company out of Iowa for stabalized wood.
finding nice knife scales for under the $20 mark might be a challenge, but who cares if the knife comes out to $60--you put it togather yourself.