Handle material boredom

I like the look of this:

1.jpg


2.jpg


Most comfortable handle material is imho birch bark

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Neo, what is the handle material in the top two pics?

I'm not so much sick of G10 and the other synthetics as I'm sick of most modern style knives being black, brown, tan or olive drab. I like larger, locking, one-hand opening folders but I'm not a big fan of the "tactical" look most have.
 
draggat said:
I agree with the OP. I'm sick of G10 and for the most part I won't buy any knife with FRN. Weight isn't an issue to me. I also think that good ergonomics have more to do with a good grip than a rough handle texture. Several months ago, I started making my own scales, and I'm slowly moving through my collection. If anything, it's almost more fun than buying new knives.

BenchmadeMiniOnslaughtRedwood1.jpg

LoneWolfLonghornBoxElder1.jpg

f0a49f54.jpg

a62d2ada.jpg

BenchmadeMiniDejavooDesertIronwood1.jpg
Click to expand...

Man you have got some skill these are amazibg! What is the second one made of?
 
I like simplicity. Plain black g10 is fine with me, FRN is alright. Micarta is nice. I don't really care for all the fancy patterned materials. They are nice to look at and always catch the eye, but I just prefer bland looks right now. I like a nice grained wood or carbon fiber at most. I don't really like inlays either. I prefer a solid look. Color doesn't matter either to me. I like knives that were build to work, not to look pretty. Like an old truck, plain simple and it works. Thats all I want.
 
I'm tired of black G10 that's for sure, but you can't beat it in terms of functionality.

But G10 in other colors is just as functional. So is pretty micarta.
 
I love that second one, the blue and rust color inserts really work together. What is that material? Is it natural or synthetic?
draggat said:
I agree with the OP. I'm sick of G10 and for the most part I won't buy any knife with FRN. Weight isn't an issue to me. I also think that good ergonomics have more to do with a good grip than a rough handle texture. Several months ago, I started making my own scales, and I'm slowly moving through my collection. If anything, it's almost more fun than buying new knives.

BenchmadeMiniOnslaughtRedwood1.jpg

LoneWolfLonghornBoxElder1.jpg

f0a49f54.jpg

a62d2ada.jpg

BenchmadeMiniDejavooDesertIronwood1.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Big Mike said:
Antler, bone, horn and non-stabilized woods are my favorites.

I find them beautiful and functional,

...and I find that the natural pores in these materials add grip when the going gets bloody.
Big Mike
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Very interesting and far from a typical opinion. ...And he should know.
 
hardheart said:
I feel very much 'over' G10, carbon fiber, and titanium. I don't avoid them, but they are in no way a selling point any longer. Nothing else has taken a top spot, be it micarta, frn, corian, rubber, cordage, delrin, celluloid, stone, glass, wood, leather, same, mother of pearl, abalone, bone, ivory, antler, horn, steel, aluminum, brass, etc. I just care more about appearance and ergos now than what the stuff specifically is.

Anyone feel similarly, or do you have particular needs/wants for specific handle composition?
Click to expand...

Micarta gets dirty and absorbs liquids.
FRN, more often than not, feels flimsy and cheap to the touch.
Rubber gets damaged easily and gives off odour.
Cordage (here I assume you mean cord-wrap) can get frayed and can irritate the hand with heavy use
Celluloid is flammable and gives off odour.
Stone is more likely to shatter rather than dent if impacted, and is excessively heavy.
Glass is likely to shatter, and possibly poses a risk to the user.
Wood is a good, classic, nice-looking choice but not economical for mass produced knives in the units numbering in the thousands.
Leather is damaged easily and gives off odour.
Mother of pearl and abalone chips easily and the craftsmanship, time and effort it takes to finish it, as well as a limited market appeal, restricts its use to bespoke knives and limited editions in general.
Bone, ivory, antler, and horn are great choices but have a limited appeal as they are generally associated with 'old timey' knives.
Steel is heavy and can corrode.
Brass discolors quickly and gives off odour, and is also heavy without great advantages in durability.

Aluminum is a good choice and is currently used by a lot of production knife manufacturers. Of those possibilities I think aluminum's the only material that stands a chance of becoming a new standard for knife handles.

G10, carbon fiber and titanium just plain work well for the types of folding knives that are in highest demand & popularity these days.
 
Everyone's been so obsessed with light-weight materials, why not go in the opposite direction? I want a frakkin' Iridium-handled knife! Almost exactly twice the weight of lead per cubic centimeter, now officially the densest element, but it's also chemically inert, the most corrosion resistant metal known to science! Everybody loves gold, and it's not much lighter than Iridium or Osmium. I'm tough enough to carry around a 1-pound Iridium Sebenza! :D

Sure, it's so rare that only about three tonnes get mined and refined per year, but that just adds to the allure! :) Sure, even though it's chemically inert, it becomes highly reactive in particulate form, but that shouldn't scare off any knife-maker who's worked with Zirconium, right? :o Sure, it has a melting point of 4400-degrees Fahrenheit, and is one of the stiffest metals, and the most resistant to deformation... but true craftsmen welcome a challenge, right? :(

I'm never going to get my Iridium knife. Maybe Iridium-Iron... or an Iridium-Uranium alloy -- that's a metal that full of win (and maybe a little radiation)! ;)

s14s.JPG
 
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