Handle material for winter themed mini knife?

[Travis Fry]

So the recent threads about mini knives got me thinking, and I'm going to make a main gauche that's maybe 1/3 scale. I'm actually not as concerned with making it exactly to scale, more about aesthetics, but still. There it is. It'll be in the Warenski tradition with diamonds, maybe a sapphire or two, etc., all fine/sterling silver fittings and a loose ladder damascus blade. Should be pretty epic, if it turns out half as well as it is in my head.

My struggle is with handle material. White MOP has the right feel, but it need it to be round (for a fluted handle with silver wire wrap). Marble (white or blue) is really too hard for my current tooling to handle. I'm looking or suggestions.

Thoughts?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Narwhale would be my first choice. That's what I used on my tri-edge twist main gauche.

A fluted handle is the nicest look for a main gauche..

Mammoth ivory would be my second choice.

Of course, ebony, blackwood, desert ironwood, etc. will all do fine.

Diamonds in gold quilloin and pommel, narwhal handle with gold twist wire.

 

[Richard338]

Celebration of Daggers

I started planning a dagger build a couple of years ago and looked to Coop’s 70-page sticky thread for inspiration. https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/sharpbycoops-gallery-of-handmade-knives.612884/ I scanned through the pages, quickly grabbing any images of daggers that caught my...

www.bladeforums.com

When I designed my last dagger, I collected a huge number of pictures, mostly by Coop.
Check out the link. In the end I used interior mammoth which is a great choice as suggested by Stacy.

 

[Travis Fry]

Celebration of Daggers

I started planning a dagger build a couple of years ago and looked to Coop’s 70-page sticky thread for inspiration. https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/sharpbycoops-gallery-of-handmade-knives.612884/ I scanned through the pages, quickly grabbing any images of daggers that caught my...

www.bladeforums.com

When I designed my last dagger, I collected a huge number of pictures, mostly by Coop.
Check out the link. In the end I used interior mammoth which is a great choice as suggested by Stacy.

That was a great thread! I'd really like to use stone (jade, lapis, marble, etc.) but I don't have and don't anticipate acquiring the necessary equipment to pull it off. I DO have some nice white walrus though, which I'm currently leaning toward. It's really yellower than I would prefer, so I'm also considering some blued dyed maple burl I have laying around as well. I'll post pictures once I get rolling on it.