I have used a tiny amount of it and it worked beautifully with hand tools. The problem with sweetgum is that it has an interlocking grain which helps to prevent splitting in use , but it also has a bad reputation for bowing, twisting, cupping. and splitting during the drying process. It continues to move a lot from changes in humidity . Using it in small pieces and in quarter sawn sections will help a lot but it is to be avoided for large flat surfaces like table tops and carcass sides. Some folks do use it as secondary woods, particularly for small pieces of quarter sawn work like drawer sides and backs. Sounds like it might work well for tool handles as long as you start by sawing out the blanks.
