Bone scales, durability, and my paranoia

[MG_Saldivar]

I've been collecting traditional patterns for a few years (disclosure: I'm a recovering tacti-fool), but all the non-SAK traditionals I bought early in my 'career' had synthetic scales -- I just prefer the 'grip' of textured Delrin and other plastics, and my USA-made Schrades in 'staglon' gave me lightweight synthetic grippiness with the look and texture of natural materials.

Lately, I've been buying bone-scaled Rough Riders and Bokers. I usually carry my knife-of-the-day in a Sack-Its silicone-impregnated soft case as shown below. Someday, depending on my necessary EDC that day, I feel like my pockets will burst due to the space taken up by the en-cased knife. But I'm paranoid that the scales will get busted jostling up against the other contents of my pockets.

SO - am I being overprotective of my bone-scaled knives? I don't mind some scuffs and such but is it silly of me to worry that the scales will get screwed up (barring, of course, dropping the knife or something)? Just how durable are bone scales?

Note: I searched BF for a prior thread on this topic and only found this thread from 2002 (it only had a handful of responses).


RR Barlow and Sack-Its case

 

[yablanowitz]

I've carried bone-handled knives loose in my pockets for years along with keys, change and often other knives. I have yet to have one break, apart from the occasional pin crack which can happen to one whether it is carried or not. I find bone scales to be warmer-feeling than metal handles and even some of the synthetics, and quite durable. If I were inclined to worry about such things, I'd be more concerned about the bolsters getting scratched up than the bone.

 

[Phil in Alabama]

The bone scales are much tougher than you'd think, regarding scrapes and gouges and such. It will take many many years of pocket toting with all the other pocket junk to do very much to bone scales, and even at that they usually come out with a beautiful translucent shine. Dropping a bone handled knife on a really hard surface such as concrete or asphalt CAN crack the scales, but I wouldn't be too concerned about pocket wear.

 

[Sword and Shield]

Use it. I've a hundred bone handles in my collection, and only a few are cracked. Those are ones that I know were used hard for decades.

 

[mnblade]

I'm paranoid that the scales will get busted jostling up against the other contents of my pockets.

SO - am I being overprotective of my bone-scaled knives?

Yes. As long as you don't drop them from too high and lather them down with mineral oil once every 20 years or so, your bone handled knives will be fine.

 

[coffeecup]

There are lots of old knives with blades worn to nubs but reasonably-intact scales; I've even seen intact bone-handles excavated from archaeological sites. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[Bastid]

Neither would I, I carry a couple of knives that are around or over 100 years old and the bone on them is some of the most beautiful I have.