Giraffe Bone?

I think a lot of it is in perception. If a collector spends a lot of money on a knife, it's impressive to tell someone that the knife you purchased has 10,000 year old mammoth ivory on it, which tends to justify his knife purchase in his own mind. Which is more impressive than saying, the knife handle is made out of 3 month old green (or blue, or tan, or whatever color) dyed giraffe bone, which leaves him trying to explain what is so special about his knife.

I feel that the appearance, the fit, the finish and the functionality speaks for itself. Giraffe bone is stunning, which is why I use it from time to time. Mammoth Ivory is also stunning, which is why I use it from time to time. If I like the way a handle material looks and feels, I buy it and use it. It's all in what we as knife makers like, just as it is for knife collectors. It's all in what they like.

I personally don't like the look of diamond woods or micarta, so I don't use them. If a potential client requested that I use them, I'd consider using them. It's all personal preferences.

If we were all the same, it would be a pretty boring world!!
 
I agree with what Scott says, an was probably being a little too glib above. There are certain factors besides looks or history that dictate Giraffe over Mammoth. Most of my knife handles are fairly large and there are few pieces of attractive Mammoth ivory that are that size, so Giraffe fills the bill for a similar handle.

I seriously don't like Diamond Wood, but I use a lot of Micarta simply because most of my knives are tactical and that's a good material for that purpose.

Again, there's something for everyone, an a$$ for every seat.
 
scottickes said:
If we were all the same, it would be a pretty boring world!!
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So true....... I'm not one to shun giraffe bone either. The only drawback being, as Stacy mentioned, the weight. It is very, very dense, but IMHO, a beautiful handle material. I have a really nice set of gray treebark looking scales waiting for a project on my bench.
 
hmm, well i'll be. i read that same thread and i assumed it was an ethics thing not just a preference thing.
i have often wondered where the giraffe bone came from, if it were killed for the bone there is no way i would use it, the same as i would not use recently colected ivory. however if it definately comes from animals that were dead anyway then i think giraffe bone looks stunning, i never really noticed it looks like mamoth ivory i just assumed it was used for its own features.
willgoy, you mention human bone scales, there was a post on a forum a few months ago from a maker who had been asked to use human bone and he was asking for advice on the ethics involved. in the end i beleive he turned down the customer, but who knows he might still have got his knife elsewhere.
brett
 
Jerry Hossom said:
The Giraffe bone usually looks nicer... :D
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:p There is at least a sliver of truth there....

There are "anti-xxxx" camps in knife collecting. Stainless, carbon, mircarta, natural, horn - pick something and there's an anti crowd out there for it. It's not wrong that they don't like it. It's just what it is. That's part of what makes it interesting. I like working with the stuff. It's amazing when you are done with it. I also like working with Mammoth but getting a big size, that is even close to matching, that is looks decent is insanely expensive and risky to use. I ruined a $65 set of mammoth scales a couple years ago and it still bugs me.
 
scottickes said:
I think a lot of it is in perception. If a collector spends a lot of money on a knife, it's impressive to tell someone that the knife you purchased has 10,000 year old mammoth ivory on it, which tends to justify his knife purchase in his own mind. Which is more impressive than saying, the knife handle is made out of 3 month old green (or blue, or tan, or whatever color) dyed giraffe bone, which leaves him trying to explain what is so special about his knife.

I feel that the appearance, the fit, the finish and the functionality speaks for itself. Giraffe bone is stunning, which is why I use it from time to time. Mammoth Ivory is also stunning, which is why I use it from time to time. If I like the way a handle material looks and feels, I buy it and use it. It's all in what we as knife makers like, just as it is for knife collectors. It's all in what they like.

I personally don't like the look of diamond woods or micarta, so I don't use them. If a potential client requested that I use them, I'd consider using them. It's all personal preferences.

If we were all the same, it would be a pretty boring world!!
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I was wondering myself what some collectors had against camel bone, since they never bothered saying what their reasons were. I've also noticed an attitude among certain collectors after reading some threads. (one in particular that was deleted) I think you're explanation has a alot of merit, as it definitely lends itself to that attitude I see.
 
holmsy said:
hmm, well i'll be. i read that same thread and i assumed it was an ethics thing not just a preference thing.
i have often wondered where the giraffe bone came from, if it were killed for the bone there is no way i would use it, the same as i would not use recently colected ivory. however if it definately comes from animals that were dead anyway then i think giraffe bone looks stunning, i never really noticed it looks like mamoth ivory i just assumed it was used for its own features.
willgoy, you mention human bone scales, there was a post on a forum a few months ago from a maker who had been asked to use human bone and he was asking for advice on the ethics involved. in the end i beleive he turned down the customer, but who knows he might still have got his knife elsewhere.
brett
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I would think that if someone wanted a maker to use human bone, then they had better be an amputee that wanted their own bone used in the knife. That is the only way that I would see it as ethical. Still, I wouldn't do it. It's just "ickie" to think about and I'm allowed to use the word "ickie" since it's my nickname.

Scott "Ickie" Ickes
 
scottickes said:
Still, I wouldn't do it. It's just "ickie" to think about and I'm allowed to use the word "ickie" since it's my nickname.

Scott "Ickie" Ickes
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:D ROTFLMAO and then some :D Thats good Scott ! Start my day off with a belly laugh and coffee all over my keyboard ;)


Mark W., that's one of the most wicked looking choppers I have ever seen !!! Nasty :thumbup: :) I LLLike it !
 
I have never understood the anti giraffe bone argument. If you want a knife with mammoth order it that way and pay the appropriate price, simple.

If the maker lies obout the material (any material) I hope he gets caught out and has his arse kicked.

The second and more sinister aspect of the argument as I see it relates to a large number of makers being influenced by a few. (read the first thread) As makers we should and must express our selves as we see fit and make what we want. Variety is what drives our business. If we let ourselves be dictated to we may as well all start making the same knife or even worse, give up.

Peter.
 
i have to say after seeing the pics of some of these handle materials here i need to try this stuff out. i mostly use stablized wood but man this giraffe bone looks stunning.
 
Del Raso Knives said:
If we let ourselves be dictated to we may as well all start making the same knife or even worse, give up.
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Are you married? :D

I think that's true of any craft, and all you have to do is attend the Blade Show to know there are not many successful copycats. A bigger problem perhaps is if a maker keeps making the same old stuff year after year. You see a goodly number makers with 50 knives on the table at the beginning of the show and 49 at the end, because there was too much of the same stuff on the table to arouse any interest. Giraffe bone is some pretty stuff and if you used the natural looking material (avoiding the purples, etc.) I think it looks like it belongs on a knife and definitely adds appeal to a table full of less exciting handle materials. Even fancy woods can get a little ho hum in a knife show where there are thousands of knives with drop dead beautiful wood on them, much of which won't look quite as pretty in a couple years if they're handled a lot.
 
bowiechiselgiraffe.jpg
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I WANT THIS ONE

except with sabilised kauri scales... pity it's probably well outside my budget to have one made... and I'm nowhere near good enough to make my own like this :(
 
willgoy said:
I'd like to know how you tell the difference between mammoth and giraffe then? Lot of expensive knives offer mammoth but how can I be sure it's NOT giraffe?
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I agree with Jerry. It can look nicer than Ivory.
Bone has pores in it that are not present in ivory. They are sometimes real hard to see, but they are there, and are sometimes filled to make them disappear.
They are prominent on the Cover and Gaines knives pictured, but not too apparent on most of the others, but they are there.
Some beautiful knives displayed here on this thread.
 
:) I sell knives on a local basis quite a bit to people that have never been into handmade in the past. Giraffe bone is a big seller, it allows a really decent looking and/or using handle on a EDC or hunter.
 
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