Handle material question for y'all

[Will Leavitt]

Well I'm working on a blade and I've got a piece of water buffalo horn that would suit it nicely. It's basically one of my Lemon Cutters but hidden tang with wrought fittings and a double guard and a few other things y'all don't expect from me. Would you as a buyer/collector be put off by buffalo horn as the handle material? I've got some hardwoods I'm consdering as handle material, just wondering what y'all think.

 

[Lorien]

as a Collector, I would accept only the finest of hemp wrappings.

 

[Will Leavitt]

Sighhhhh Lorien you're so narrow minded!

I'm afraid hemp won't work very well with this design.

I've been working in the shop on a hemp wrapped folding chopper/lopper but every time I try to close it the handle material falls off

 

[RogerP]

Well, for this collector, buffalo horn would be a deal-breaker. I love the look of the stuff, but in my experience, there's nothing worse for shrinkage.

Any premium wood would be preferable for me.

If you live in a real stable climate, this might not be an issue at all.

Roger

 

[Lorien]

I'm just kidding, Will.
I love buffalo horn. I have a golok and a khukuri and that material is very very nice. Snooty folk like it fluted

 

[Kevin Jones]

I like the looks of it when properly finished. It can polish out real nice and sometimes has a tint of gold along with the dark.
I expect as with other horn it depends greatly on the drying/stabilization process it receives.
Daniel Winkler has used quite a bit of it and on expensive period knives.
You hear many complaints on Ramhorn, however you will find it used successfully on very expensive knives from makers such as Steve Johnson, Ed Fowler, Ron Lake, Dietmer Kressler and others. If you are not sure on the Buff horn as to it's prior processing, than a nice piece of Ironwood is probably less risky.