Do you like stag, or it's not your cup of tea?

meako said:
While we're at it...what's the distinction between "natural" & "genuine" stag from GEC?
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IIRC, GEC's "genuine" stag is stag that they receive in rounds, or whole pieces of the antler, that GEC cuts and matches for each knife. I believe this stag is unburnt. "Natural" stag is also unburnt stag but comes pre-cut and I think paired already. I'm pretty sure a few dealer members who regularly speak with GEC have posted the descriptions.

I like stag. I wouldn't say I love stag but I definitely like it. I like the way it looks and feels, either gnarly or smooth but I really like handles that are symmetrical in shape and thickness. And for thickness, I usually prefer the thinner ones for carry. Here are my 2 most carried stag folders, both need updated pics though. The stag on the conductor was thin and mostly flat on the mark side, a little thicker on the pile side but still about even with the bolsters. The #48 jack though had a thinnish mark side and mostly thin pile side except at the bolsters, especially the end cap. It was bulbous there so I took it to the sander and brought it down a bit to make it more even with the bolsters. There was no worry about losing any bark as the areas by the bolsters were already smooth.



This pic is of the pile side when new. I don't think I have an updated pic of this side.


Some GEC #48 Improved trappers with matching if not always thin stag


And a #92 Eureka Jack with the fattest stag I've ever had on a folder. But it matches :)



 
Some gorgeous stag in this thread! I have a few stag handled knives, there is something very appealing to a stag knife.

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couple of these are horn but mostly stag

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I know I would rather hand pick my Stag handles in person but if you cant there are reputable place to buy that will address your concerns. Ive seen some pretty mismatched Stag handles and ive seen some amazing matches.

 
my only two stag knives, the half stockman gifted showed opened my eyes to how good aged stag could look. It is lighter than bone, ages well and apparently more durable, though I haven't tested this personally. I'm really looking forward to the forum knife, it will be a surprise for everyone what sort of stag they get, I can imagine there might even be some swapping going on e.g. I don't like overly fat stag, but some people do.

 
I like stag a lot.

I only have about 3. Two slipjoints a one fixed blade.







The burnt stag on this #25 looks even better now than when I took this pics. The high points have mellowed, and become warmer.



 
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