Bushcraft Knife Handles?

Razor

Razor

Joined
Dec 8, 1999
Messages
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Which would you get? Wood or micarta, and why. I really like the look of wood, but is not a bushcraft knives a kinda of survival knife? I think micarta looks good and hear it is alot stronger. I know I like wood on a Kephart. I just wonder for a $200 knife which would you get?
 
I love the look of wood scales too. The only issue I've ever had with them is slight shrinkage so the tang might stick out just a fraction. Not really a big deal overall, but Micarta doesn't have that problem and impervious to just about everything.
 
Go with stabilized wood and you shouldn't have any shrinkage problems. micarta can shrink (very) slightly too over time, although not nearly what unstabilized wood will. Don't forget about G10 too, its similar to Micarta but made with fiberglass rather than linen/canvas/paper like micarta so its almost 100% impervious to shrinkage/expansion.
 
I prefer Micarta, but that is because I find it looks better than wood in my eyes. However, it really boils down to what you like more. I wouldn't worry about shrinking as much as I would the comfort of the knife. If it shrinks, it can always be re-handled. If you don't like the material, though... you likely won't use it.
 
I like wood, not only for looks, but because I think it feels better. I agree that it's not as bombproof as micarta, but I base my decisions on more than just pure utility.

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G-10 is more bomb proof than Micarta (depending on the type) - but Desert Ironwood or Cocobolo or Lignam Vitae might as well be considered bomb proof.

Razor - what knife are you considering - I think that would help us decide.

TF
 
I like the looks of wood but for some reason i just prefer micarta or G10 for a user.

Dont forget other handle materials. My go to survival blades are all from Scrap Yard or Swamp Rat with Res-C handles. I especially like this on a big 9 or 10 inch chopper as it seems to absorb some impact on heavy blows.
 
On a bark river - go with some Micarta. It doesn't hamper the look at all. If you were buying an ML knife or something - I would advise otherwise.

TF
 
If you buy Bark River, it is warranted for life so it may not matter what you buy. I don't really know about how they would take care of wood handle failure, but I do know that Mike Stewart replaced some knives destroyed in a house fire before. I figure that they'd probably fix or replace your grips (wood, micarta, G10) if any of them fail somehow.
 
It's not quite what you asked for, but dymondwood can be a good compromise. It's better looking than micarta, but stronger and more stable than wood. It gets a bad wrap for having some truly ugly variations and being used on a lot of crappy, ugly knives, but it is a good material.

- Chris
 
I usually go with wood. There are plenty of woods that are tough enough for the purpose. I have knives with macassar ebony, bloodwood, ipe, and narra. For the most bulletproof woods, lignum vitae and ipe are hard to beat. Lignum vitae was used for propeller shaft bearings in US submarines during WWII.
 
I too prefer the rustic, 'old-world' good looks of natural wood handles - cocobolo, desert ironwood, lignum vitae, etc. However, for my 1-and-only hard-use/never-fail survival knife i sacrificed nostalgic 'good looks' for good 'ol fashioned, plain-Jane practicality and went with Micarta. Micarta is virtually indestructible and impervious to water - things that are important for handle material in that type of knife.

Your "Bushcraft" knife may not be the 1-and-only knife you have with you, so maybe you can opt for the more appealing look of a wood handled knife. I don't have a bushcraft-specific blade, but maybe one day i will and i'll probably opt for a wood handled version.
 
I like both but if I'm walking miles and miles and carrying a pack depending on the wood, wood handles are lighter.
 
I prefer Micarta for being close to bomb-proof, plus I like the way it looks and feels.
 
My B&T knife with stabilized wood+cleaning trout in a stream=slick as snot. In my experience, stabilized wood is some nice eye candy but provides no traction when wet.

My hunting knife with burlap micarta, add deer blood and guts from field dressing then a dunk in the closest creek to clean her off. Through the whole process it is amazing how 'tacky' the handle becomes. I've heard that the small natural fibers on the outside of courser (canvas, burlap, linen) micarta can swell from the moisture and provide a better grip. In my experience, paper micarta doesn't have this characteristic. Its slick no matter what. The other quality I appreciated from Mr Koster is with micarta in freezing temps, micarta still feels 'warm'. Not like G10 which can feel ice cold in winter.

If temperature or water are involved, I'll go micarta hands down over wood or stabilized wood. But that's just my opinion.
 
I still think the best handle I have ever used was the wood handle on the Spyderco BushcraftUK blade.

Aside from that one, Micarta works well for me on several hard use knives.
 
I have used micarta and G10 handles.

I will only buy wood-handled knives from now on - I just don't trust plastic enough to heavily rub it into my hands for hours.

I recently bought a knife with cocobolo handles and it just feels and looks beautiful and I am sure it is very strong.

ll.
 
schmittie said:
My B&T knife with stabilized wood+cleaning trout in a stream=slick as snot. In my experience, stabilized wood is some nice eye candy but provides no traction when wet.
Click to expand...

Just work your grip lightly with either 220 or 320 grit emory paper. That'll add some texture to it without changing the look.

I've done this to wood, micarta and G10 to make them "gripper". For the record, smooth G10 is the slipperiest handle material that I've encountered.
 
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