Are elk scales supposed to be this thick?

All sales are final is what their website states, the customer service person the replied to my email didn't offer that as an option either.
 
If all sales are final then it’s a crap shoot ending. I myself would be very unhappy. I have had a few custom knives made thru the years but was involved in each and every step. After seeing your outcome. I don’t see me doing business with the Custom Shop.
John
 
I got a c&c special run when they were doing that with Buck..... in stag not elk that has very thick scales but full bark. barely could fit it in a 110 sheath.....its stretched the sheath out after jamming it in there and letting it sit. I kinda like it for the full grip though.

other elk I've gotten from custom shop weren't like this one. I dont mind elk variations, so sight unseen doesn't scare me off.

id say sell it, if not happy op. someone will want it and recoup what ya put into it.
 
I think it looks good with that kind of thickness to the scales. Probably feels good in the hand too. Does it still fit into the belt sheath?
 
riversidedep said:
I think it looks good with that kind of thickness to the scales. Probably feels good in the hand too. Does it still fit into the belt sheath?
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Feels ok in the hand, haven't shoved it in the sheath as jbmonkey jbmonkey stated it would take some work and stretch it out.

It's not the variation that bothers me as much as doubling the thickness of the knife and the issues it will present carrying it in rotation with my other half dozen or so 110's.
The one sentence answer and brush off from customer service was just the icing on the cake. Thought they were renowned for their customer service?

This was my second custom shop knife the first (ironwood) came out great, going to be awhile before I get anymore. Sucks to pay your money up front, wait all that time, get an unwelcome surprise, and then have CS basically tell you to pound sand.
 
If I recall correctly the USA made 110 sheaths are a bit bigger and "looser" than the ones made in Mexico.
I'm unsure what sheath they ship from the Custom Shop....

The uncertainty of what stag you're going to get has kept me from ever ordering one.
I'm sure you could easily sell it as someone is sure to like them that way.
 
Nebuchadnezzar said:
It's not the variation that bothers me as much as doubling the thickness of the knife and the issues it will present carrying it in rotation with my other half dozen or so 110's.
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Sounds like this particular knife is destine for its own designated sheath. The tight fit can easily be eliminated through wet forming. Simply soak the sheath in warm water, wrap the knife with plastic wrap, and put the knife in the sheath for about an hour. Take knife out and allow sheath to completely dry. Perfect fit! :) Good looking knife IMO. 👍
 
Mine sort of pops into its sheath. Almost like a retention device. But mine is only real fat on 1 side not both.

If you are serious about re-scaling it. You could take it to a belt sander first and flatten it out some.

You would loose the texture, but I bet it would be nice.

I didn’t like the crown on my stag 119. So I sanded it smooth. I like it a lot more now.

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I used a standard handheld 4” carpentry belt sander.
 
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Nebuchadnezzar said:
That is more like what is shown on their website and in line with what I was expecting.
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It is verymuch a bait and switch situation. So many elk and stag knives are shipped like yours and mine. Yet if you go through the custom build a knife selection NONE of the pictures look like ours.

The knives in the pictures are obviously hand picked.

They hide behind the “natural materials have variations”, but Its more than that. The pictures give you a sense of how they use the material then they use it in a different way.
 
eveled said:
It is verymuch a bait and switch situation. So many elk and stag knives are shipped like yours and mine. Yet if you go through the custom build a knife selection NONE of the pictures look like ours.

The knives in the pictures are obviously hand picked.

They hide behind the “natural materials have variations”, but Its more than that. The pictures give you a sense of how they use the material then they use it in a different way.
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Exactly, apparently this is a known thing among those who know :) was a bit of a learning curve for me. Expected some variation and knew I was playing the scale lottery, just didn't expect the knife to double in width.

As eveled eveled suggested it could be sanded flat, a pure white scale that can rotate through a shared sheath would be preferable to this chunk.
 
It's thick. but it's equally thick on both sides and it matches. Small compensation when it doesn't meet your expectations. Here is a 110 Stag Damascus I got when I was young and less experienced. At a show I held one out of the display case, perfect. I paid for it and was handed one in a box. I didn't think to check. They didn't even try to match these scales. I've learned to live with it but its a sore point to this day. If you don't like yours do something, anything.

Buck110_04_zpsyukqwina.jpg

Buck110_05_zpstk7mdazq.jpg
 
I too like the look of polished horn and if that's what you like go ahead and make it yours! What I like about 'bark' is it gives me a better grip and the fatter the better. Back before I realized exactly what I had I owned a Ebony handled 112 with oversized wood that looked exactly like typical fat Stag with a slant to meet the edge of the bolsters but a flat top. No doubt made for a employee. A true matching Stag folder sanded from the bottom to meet the bolsters made by someone like Leroy or WBC is not going to be inexpensive simply because of the time needed to do the work but more importantly because sorting and just finding the horn that will work and match is difficult. In Altanta I've seen folks stand at a table full of horn sets and blanks for a long time looking for the 'perfect' set for a Custom. The hourly employee at the bin at Buck does not have the time.
 
eveled said:
BuckShack BuckShack that’s a beautiful knife. Being mismatched wouldn't bother me at all. You can only see one side at a time.
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Thanks, it does help to hear that. I call it my magician's knife and pretty much it is. I never post pictures of both sides together. Now everyone knows it's the same knife! It is a good knife though. I just didn't get what I thought I was getting and that's the point I was making. You never know for sure what you're going to get.
 
I like the magicians knife monicker.

If I owned it I’d call it “Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde”. Because of its two personalities. Reminds me of the 110 that was half nickel and half brass. Some people thought it was awesome some were really upset. Another case of Buck’s failure to communicate.
 
Nebuchadnezzar said:
Buck said that is within their quality for elk handles.

Lesson learned don't buy sight unseen anymore.

It does fill the hand nicely, but the 110's with flat scales aren't lacking in that department and the sheath limitations make it a no go for me. Might have to find someone to change the scales for me to something slimmer.
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Did they say what the specification was? For production, I can see it, but not for a Custom Shop knife.
 
brownshoe said:
Did they say what the specification was? For production, I can see it, but not for a Custom Shop knife.
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Not that I saw, all pics showed flat scales and the model name is the same so one would think the specs would be relatively similar unless stated.
 
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