What are the pro's and con's of bone vs stag scales on an everyday carry (EDC) knife? For example, durability (i.e., resistance to chips/cracks/stain, etc.), shrinkage, maintenance, etc. Also, would one be rated higher than the other in giving a knife added collector value? Thanks.
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Bone vs Stag Scales
- Thread starter toothed
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- Feb 27, 2001
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Just my thoughts. I think bone has less of a tendancy to shrink, stag less of a tendancy to crack. In general given the same model and year of manufacture stag knives are more desirable, yet on many knives bone with the right jigging can be stunning too.
I think that are fairly equal in durability too. In colletor value, good stag will usually always bring a higher price than the same knife in bone. Probably a greater effect in collector value would be the wear incurred during EDC and use. Most users don't make good collectables.
Bone is often worked to look like stag, nobody works stag to look like bone, bone costs less and is easier to obtain, I think they both make good material for working knives though they need more care than synthetics.
I do think in general collectors prefer stag but the knife´s condition is more important, I wouldn´t buy a working knife with hopes that it will become collectible, if it´s a user, it´s a user.
I do think in general collectors prefer stag but the knife´s condition is more important, I wouldn´t buy a working knife with hopes that it will become collectible, if it´s a user, it´s a user.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm considering the purchase of a now discontinued production trapper (Cripple Creek) that is probably thought of more as a collector than a user. All of the models I've seen for sale in the past have been in stag (which I prefer) but the one for sale that I'm looking at now is with jigged bone scales. My thoughts are that this would be a fairly unique knife to carry for occasional use and EDB (everday bragging). Am I wrong to believe that it is the stag handled versions--not the jigged bone versions--that are the collectables? I've wanted a CC for quite awhile.
I'd like to start carrying a SJ as an EDC; however, I'm afraid that once I receive this knife (rated as "mint" by the seller) it may turn into a safe queen. So on the one hand, I want a handle material that is conducive to EDC but on the other hand, I also want it to be a material that does not detract significantly in collector value.
I guess I need to think about this some more. The alternative I'm looking at is to pay more and get a handmade.
I'd like to start carrying a SJ as an EDC; however, I'm afraid that once I receive this knife (rated as "mint" by the seller) it may turn into a safe queen. So on the one hand, I want a handle material that is conducive to EDC but on the other hand, I also want it to be a material that does not detract significantly in collector value.
I guess I need to think about this some more. The alternative I'm looking at is to pay more and get a handmade.
I have wanted a Cripple Creek for quite a while also. The ones on ebay always bring relatively big money, $100.00+ stag or bone. I can see these really zooming in value a few years from now. I have never handled one though, are they that much better than say Case or Bulldog?
dvc73, I've never handled a Cripple Creek folder but have seen pictures of some. For what it's worth (not much), imo, the fit and finish of the particular knives I've seen (in photo's only) look very good.
You can read about Bob Cargill of Cripple Creek at his website (www.knifeman.org). Although his folders are classified as "production," I'm impressed with the passion that he purportedly put into each knife that came out of his shop--I would like to think that they could be ranked closer to "fine handmade" than "production." The CC's made while the company was still in his control are the ones that I want. (The company was sold at one point--late 80s or early 90s?--during which, imo, less desirable knives were produced--maybe someone here knows the exact dates of manufacture to avoid).
If it sounds like I'm an expert on this matter, I apologize because I'm not. All I know about the Cripple Creek brand is limited to what I've been reading and seeing on the internet. Heck, I don't even have one myself--yet. Accordingly, although I have a Case whittler and a Bulldog doctor's model (the latter of which I won in a contest in this forum--thanks bastid and Gus), I can't compare them to the CC. Maybe they're (CC) better or maybe they're not (better than the Case and Bulldog) but that doesn't matter to me--it's owning a knife that is a part of the Bob Cargill and Cripple Creek story that I want.
However, I hope my comments here will encourage you to learn more about Bob Cargill's knives and chase after "them three-legged buffaloes" (his signature badge which was also an inside joke of his). I realize that this means more competition for me in the bidding wars for a Cargill but the more the merrier, I guess.
You can read about Bob Cargill of Cripple Creek at his website (www.knifeman.org). Although his folders are classified as "production," I'm impressed with the passion that he purportedly put into each knife that came out of his shop--I would like to think that they could be ranked closer to "fine handmade" than "production." The CC's made while the company was still in his control are the ones that I want. (The company was sold at one point--late 80s or early 90s?--during which, imo, less desirable knives were produced--maybe someone here knows the exact dates of manufacture to avoid).
If it sounds like I'm an expert on this matter, I apologize because I'm not. All I know about the Cripple Creek brand is limited to what I've been reading and seeing on the internet. Heck, I don't even have one myself--yet. Accordingly, although I have a Case whittler and a Bulldog doctor's model (the latter of which I won in a contest in this forum--thanks bastid and Gus), I can't compare them to the CC. Maybe they're (CC) better or maybe they're not (better than the Case and Bulldog) but that doesn't matter to me--it's owning a knife that is a part of the Bob Cargill and Cripple Creek story that I want.
However, I hope my comments here will encourage you to learn more about Bob Cargill's knives and chase after "them three-legged buffaloes" (his signature badge which was also an inside joke of his). I realize that this means more competition for me in the bidding wars for a Cargill but the more the merrier, I guess.