Bone v. Stag Handles?

[MSS]

I recently purchased a rather expensive knife (over $100), not custom but a very nice knife nonetheless, made by a nationally known company. The knife was advertised as having "genuine stag" handles, however, upon receiving the knife, it appears that the company used bone instead of stag (the handles have almost no grooving, and one side is perfectly white with no groves or texture at all). Do companies do this? Can bone be convincingly made to look like stag? For example, Case jigged bone handles are easily identified as bone and are advertised as such. I know stag is not generally available due to the Indian embargo on its exportation. If companies do this, does anyone agree with me that it wrong for them to do it? Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[t1mpani]

I've seen a number of companies offering "stag bone" handles, where it is exactly what you describe--bone made to look like stag. However, the name implies this. If there's no mention of that anywhere, and the handles are indeed bone, then that is most certainly wrong.

BTW Welcome to the forums!

 

[PhilL]

IMO this should be a hanging offense.

"Let the Buyer Beware"

 

[Don Luis]

Technically speaking stag is a deer, not necesarily the Indian Sambar stag, not necesarrily the antler of such deer, there was recently a thread about a knife with Sambar Stag Bone.

There is antler from other deers often used for handles and often refered to as stag, European or Argentinian deer is not uncommon, and often good quality, though not like Sambar stag.

Antler varies much, not always having many grooves or texture, it can be very white, you probably got a simple looking piece.

What I think is that the material should be specified with more detail, for example "Europen deer antler" OR "Argentinian cattle bone imitation stag".

 

[Danbo]

I'm with PhilL on this one. Hang em!

 

[Fort Henry Custom Knives]

Not that Price really has anything to do with it (it was either represented correctly or not) but $100 plus is a good bit of change and you should receive a very good knife for that money. I would immediately return the knife and ask for a refund. You can still find good Sambar Stag handled knives(older and new ones) if you are patient.

 

[W.T. Beck]

I think the European stag looks alot different from the Indian Sambar stag that is most popular. If the company isn't falsely advertising its "genuine stag" handles, then it is probably from a European deer. From what I have seen in pictures, the European stag does more closely resemble jigged bone than the more desireable Sambar stag. The manufacturer wouldn't be false advertising if the handles are made from any variety of deer antler.

 

[george tichbourne]

The basic difference between European Red deer and Sambar is in the texture.
Red deer has a raised pebbly surface that works well on stick tangs or on smaller knives.

Sambar has a deeply lined surface and works best on larger knives where knocking off the edges of the grooves to improve handling is not as noticable.

I work with both and like them equally.

North American whitetail on the other hand is so soft inside that the only place I use it on a regular basis is for Crown stag handles.

I got a small Case knife yesterday with "stag jigged bone" and thought it was a good imitation of sambar.

 

[Icon of Sin]

I always liked Bone in handles, liked the look and the fact that I can say "yeah thats bone"

 

[Buzzbait]

If there's no texture at all, it could be "second cut" stag. Second cut stag often has no texture at all and must be grooved by hand.