2018 BF Knife Poll 5.2: Animal Handle Materials

[MT_Pokt]

Looks like elk is going to pull it off after all...

I guess I'm going to be in the burlap micarta camp for the final... Unique material for a uniquely configured Buck. I suppose I could get whatever wins and put my own ram on it.

 

[Elgatodeacero]

I voted for ram; but I was not aware of the beetle issue.

Maybe elk will be for the best!

 

[afishhunter]

Oh what the heck!
I'll join the "Anything but Irornwood and Micarta" camp.

Besides, I've never had Antler before ...

 

[black mamba]

Elk covers CAN be awesome, but in my experience they are rare. It's a lot more likely they will be white to gray with little texture and color. If I have to vote sight unseen, ironwood gets the vote. It's always beautiful.

 

[Modoc ED]

This is not directed to any one person.

The Elk won the poll. Not by a large margin but it won. Let it go. Support it. Let's move on the the next poll.

 

[Elgatodeacero]

Are you saying we are not allowed to contest a free and fair election?!

I move to impeach all of you!

 

[Ernie1980]

It was a close race!

 

[Pomsbz]

Well that's animal out for me, would be happy with either Burlap or Ironwood though a preference for the former.

 

[r8shell]

I was pulling for ram, but elk is OK. I don't mind if the elk ends up looking plain, because I like smooth light bone.

Burlap is my third choice of the Big Three, but at least it's not canvas micarta. We just had that last year and i dislike the fuzzyness of it.

 

[wintermute]

I have to admit, I actually like smooth grainy elk. Plus, Buck made it a point to list it as Grade A Natural Shed (for whatever that's worth) - I don't think they make that distinction on their custom pages.

 

[joeradza]

Elk ftw.

 

[Ernie1980]

So when will the next poll begin? Our knife is really starting to come together!

 

[Will Power]

Interesting article

You can always tell when a writer, at some point in their career, has been paid by the column inch!

Yes, plenty of hyperbole there and verbiage . Plus not a little exaggeration Carpet beetles will devour your wool clothes, rugs etc and then move on to any horn handled knives you may have laying about The real danger they pose is to horn in store prior to working it into knife handles. Rather like fungal attack on stored antler.

But, that's it, Ram lost. Wood or Burlap are both superior to Elk, so next poll please

 

[Sabercat]

When it comes to traditional knives, I will take a natural material over synthetic almost every time.

I like micarta. I think the burlap micarta is swell. It takes a distant third to ironwood however.

Ironwood takes a distant second to Elk.

The elk may not be as pretty as some other options, but if all we cared about was how cute our knives are, then pearl, shell, and other woods would have fared better in the polls.

 

[cbr1000]

skblades It would be super helpful to have representative photos of the covers for the next poll. Thank you for everything you're doing to make the forum knife happen this year!

 

[Elgatodeacero]

I dont think it is fair to ask SK to post samples, unless Buck is willing to commit to this.

I see major disappointment if a knife is not very similar to the "sample", and that is not realistic in my experience for a run of 2-300 knives or more.

 

[cbr1000]

I dont think it is fair to ask SK to post samples, unless Buck is willing to commit to this.

I see major disappointment if a knife is not very similar to the "sample", and that is not realistic in my experience for a run of 2-300 knives or more.

representative = not an exact sample.

If I recall correctly SK posted an example of ironwood and burlap.. I thought it would be helpful if he has an elk to compare to the other examples he has already posted.

 

[Elgatodeacero]

Cbr1000, Yes, that makes sense.

I do think it may create more issues than it solves, i guess a giant disclaimer would cut down the bellyaching down the road.

 

[cbr1000]

Cbr1000, Yes, that makes sense.

I do think it may create more issues than it solves, i guess a giant disclaimer would cut down the bellyaching down the road.

I was pushing for polished stag.. or polished elk. Polished elk would keep things slim. I'm thinking the same as you, lots of inconsistency in natural materials. If polished is an option the covers would be a bit more consistent. The samples of elk posted in this thread were not very appealing. I can't figure out if that's what buck always uses, or people were posting poor samples of elk to sway the vote away from elk?

 

[Elgatodeacero]

If the elk looks like Joe Radza’s knife, then it would be amazing.

My concern is a lot of elk I see is basically like white or Appaloosa bone, very plain and no texture.

I think this knife will be great, and the voting has been fun.