Are matching scales important to you?

[Will Power]

Not very much.

If both sides are attractive in terms of jigging & colour then I certainly don't mind mis-matched scales.

I like the one baxtrom shows a lot, it illustrated my point of view.

Allegedly, in the past, cutlers may have reserved the 'best' slab for the mark side and put inferior stuff on the pile side. Maybe, but it could be a convenient excuse for shoddiness masquerading as a 'tradition'

On blades however, there was a tendency by some makers to put crocus polish on the mark side of the blade and glaze on the pile, time consuming but as an'extra' I suppose .

 

[Danke42]

If the material is natural then not matching is not an issue. In fact I expect it since it's natural.

 

[brownshoe]

If the material is natural then not matching is not an issue. In fact I expect it since it's natural.

A sign of a custom knife is matched covers. I have one where the grain in the rosewood was a perfect match, down to the swirl around a screw on both sides. Matching mamouth is slick, you can track the colors across the back of the handle

 

[Fodderwing]

I love knives with different scales on each side.

 

[Danke42]

A sign of a custom knife is matched covers. I have one where the grain in the rosewood was a perfect match, down to the swirl around a screw on both sides. Matching mamouth is slick, you can track the colors across the back of the handle

Wow! Amazing.

But to remove any confusion I just said it doesn't matter to me. I have a bunch of production knives with amazing matching natural covers.

Great Eastern Cutlery makes these. You should check them out. They're very popular.

 

[afishhunter]

As long as the material is the same on both sides and the colors are close I'm good.

 

[5K Qs]

I like the one baxtrom shows a lot, it illustrated my point of view.

Agree; both sides of that trapper look good!

- GT

 

[black mamba]

I have a thing for symmetry, and I do appreciate well-matched covers. Here are a few faves.

Bark Ram's Horn

Custom Stag

Snakewood

Book-matched Walnut Custom Sharpfinger

 

[Angry Waiter]

No sir. Give me some variety. !

 

[Bmgillum]

Yes…

 

[cudgee]

Bark Ram's Horn

Wow, nice. Some beautiful Ram there.

 

[Will Power]

I have a thing for symmetry, and I do appreciate well-matched covers. Here are a few faves.

Bark Ram's Horn

Custom Stag

Snakewood

Book-matched Walnut Custom Sharpfinger

Certainly understand your point of view Jeff, remarkable examples. Ram's Horn could just be the King of all Scales

Totally overawed by the Sharpfinger, beautiful wood and it's a really useful knife that unfortunately, seems to have fallen out of favour with people, don't know why as it's a really logical user.

That said, my point about liking sides that ARE very different still stands, so long as they are both good looking: sort of Blonde /Brunette thing

 

[black mamba]

Thank you, cudgee and Will, ram's horn is as good a handle material as any, and the Cuban is about as good as it comes.

It's among my 3 or 4 most prized knives.

 

[cudgee]

I have a thing for symmetry, and I do appreciate well-matched covers.

Me too, but that is just my personal choice. Just finished this Yesterday, it came with different coloured covers and looked awful, not just the mis matched covers but the finish, they looked like plastic not bone. I am no knife modder, but i wanted to keep and use the knife because above all else it takes a fantastic edge and keeps it with minimum honing. But i stuffed it up, i now know that bone can only absorb so much dye, so the covers are still mis matched but looks a lot better than when i got it. .