Handle Material Questions for Collectors

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This has been bugging me for a few years now so I wanted to ask these question from a collector's point of view. I am biased so I will try not to slant the wording or anything toward my preference.

EDIT to summarize:
If you were only able to purchase 1 or 2 folders or fixed blade knives during a year, what would be your preferred knife and handle material and why?
Are you willing to spend an extra 25% or more to have an exotic material vs manmade?
Do you feel the majority of collectible makers, make knives to meet your desires?

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1st group of questions are for those of you who collect folders.
When you purchase a custom made folder do you prefer man made handle materials? Example; micarta, G10 and jigged bone.
...Or do you prefer natural materials such as ivory, pearl, exotic woods and stag?
Are you willing to pay more for natural handle materials?
What is your very favorite folding knife handle material?

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2nd group of questions are for those who collect fixed blade knives.
Same questions
When you purchase a custom made knife do you prefer man made handle materials? Example; micarta, carbon fiber or G10.
...Or do you prefer natural materials such as ivory, pearl, exotic woods and stag?
Are you willing to pay more for natural handle materials?
What is your very favorite knife handle material?

===============================================

3rd group of questions.
Are you willing to provide extra care to maintain your handle material? Example; protecting ivory and natural woods from the elements and extreme climate changes to avoid cracking, shrinking and fading.
.......Or do you prefer a care-free material that does not require effort or maintenance.
What is more important to you in regards to handle material, or in what order of importance?
Appearance
Durability
Cost

Is there a particular handle material you really like but have not purchased on a knife for a reason? Example; pearl, but you were afraid you might drop the knife and chip it.

=================================================

I have my own opinions and reasoning for my answers, but I wanted to hear the opinions of collectors without any influence from myself.

I was hoping for answers from collectors instead of makers because there is a chance that things might turn out different than expected. Ideally this thread can help influence suppliers such as myself to provide the materials and makers to make what you want the most.

Thank you for taking the time to post your answers and indulge my curiosity.
Mark
 
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It all depends on the intended use. I prefer stag safe queens, and bone, wood or synthetics for users, whether folder or fixed blade.
 
I probably should have added:
Knives you purchase not as a basic utility tool, but something you purchase in order to have something really nice for yourself, your collection or for possible future resale.
 
I prefer beautiful wood with surprise voids in it.
:D

(sorry couldn't help it. I'll come back later with a real answer)
 
Black G10, Black Micarta, CF, Iron Wood, Ebony, Black Walnut (stabilized if possible). A knife is for using not collecting dust so anything that can stand some hard use and not look like crap after. Sweat, Blood, Salty fog, Mist, Dirt, Scorching dry sun/heat, Teeth shattering cold...
 
To answer your question, Mark, they're all fixed blades. Stag by an overwhelming margin, then wood (preferably nice, exotic burls).
 
Fixed blades - and only natural materials. Preference for "gem" grade stone (pietersite), pearls, stag and elephant ivory (in that order). Never man-made material, unless it's the folder in my pocket. Wood scales on only two knives.

Bob Betzner
 
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Folders and only natural materials - pearl (in order of preference blacklip, pink, whitelip), ivory (walrus, mammoth, no elephant due to regulations), stag. No wood or man made material not even for my EDC.

Marcel
 
Good topic. :thumbup:

My answers.

I collect fixed blades almost exclusively (the odd slipjoint gets in the mix) so the comments below apply to custom hunters, fighters, bowies, camp knives etc.

My overwhelming preference is for natural handle materials. Synthetics do have their place, but I have owned very few such knives over the years. My favourite handle materials are wood, stag and fossil ivories. I don't have a preference between those three - but I definitely like the material in question to be a premium example of its kind - and that IS something I am willing to pay for. For example - some will tell you they prefer stag to wood, but I will tell you I prefer an exceptional piece of wood to a ho-hum, so-so or borderline trashy piece of stag.

If you want natural handle materials on your knife, you should understand both the extra care involved and the extra risks involved and be willing to undertake both - or else make another choice.

Few comments on specific materials:

1) PEARL. I LOVE pearl, but bowie-sized pieces are pretty rare. The only ones I have seen of late have been on Fisk bowies.

2) WOOD. What I like best about wood is that it allows the maker maximum flexibility in terms of handle design / shaping / execution. If you have a nice stag taper or a walrus tusk - that's your handle right there and your build you knife around it. Wood frees you of restrictions on shape and dimension (as would a large piece of interior mammoth).

My favourite woods are walnut (in all variations - English, Black Walnut, Claro) and Koa. Ironwood, Amboyna, Gidgee, Blackwood, Ebony, Redwood and whole bunch of others have been in my collection). I ran a couple "favourite woods" threads back in the day - it would be interesting to do one again now. Here's an oldy - you can tell 'cause Terry Primos is one of the participants - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=369024 )

3) The only material that I approach with caution is horn of any kind - sheep, muskox, buffalo etc. - simply because I have had really bad experiences with that group in terms of stability. I know others have had better experiences and that informs their choices.

Roger
 
It depends on the handle construction.
For full tang fixed blades I prefer by far man made materials because they don't move. Example: I'll take anytime a micarta handled Loveless over stag.
Narrow tang fixed blades: it's the other way arround. This time the prefered materials are ivories and wood. The only condition is it must be a beautiful piece.
For traditional folders I like both: natural (ivory, stag, wood) or manmade (especially micarta).
Modern folders: it's naked titanium for framelocks and if there must be scales they'll be man made (G10, CF, micarta).
 
When you purchase a custom made knife do you prefer man made handle materials? Example; micarta, carbon fiber or G10.
...Or do you prefer natural materials such as ivory, pearl, exotic woods and stag?
Are you willing to pay more for natural handle materials?
What is your very favorite knife handle material?
Click to expand...
I’m only interested in natural handle materials for my collectible fixed-blade knives. I’m not only willing to pay more for natural handle material but will pay what it takes for the finest specimens. I've always had a deep appreciation for having a fine knife in my hand with a piece of 10,000 year old mammoth ivory and wondering in amazement what that piece of material has been through over the last 10,000 years.

Man made materials (micarta, G10 etc.) are fine for knives which I expect to subject to harsh climates and hard use.

I prefer fossil ivory, stag, premium wood and pearl if the right piece is available. I generally stay away from horn even though I have had good luck with ram horn.

Even though resale/investment is not my primary motive for collecting custom knives I will not commission or purchase wood handle knives with a value greater than $3,000. The pool of high end buyers, which is already somewhat limited, is reduced substantially furthur for wood handle knives particularly in the higher price ranges. There are rare exceptions of course with Moran knives and historically inspired knives being among them. I have knives in my collection with beautiful premium desert ironwood and cocobolo handles.

Are you willing to provide extra care to maintain your handle material? Example; protecting ivory and natural woods from the elements and extreme climate changes to avoid cracking, shrinking and fading.
.......Or do you prefer a care-free material that does not require effort or maintenance.
Click to expand...
Yes, I put quite a bit of care into maintaining my natural handle materials as I do my knives in general. And it has paid off as I have only had issues with two knives and both makers went way above and beyond in fixing the problems and at no charge, even though I fully expected to pay them.

What is more important to you in regards to handle material, or in what order of importance?
Appearance
Durability
Cost
Click to expand...

Appearance and durability go hand in hand and you do not have to sacrifice one for the other in my opinion. Natural material just requires a little care and common sense if one is to be successful with it.
As far as cost, it’s just like anything else; the best examples don’t come cheap.
 
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today I never buy micarta. O/W only for something I likely will use or the price was just so good I could not pass it by do I deal with G10 etc. O/W I like various pearls, shell, wood, stag, stone and ivories. I tend to buy what I like and all have to fit but then again, I also like to have representations by many makers and sometimes will buy a knife that is priced right and the handle material does not have to be specific. I seldom order knives and those I have generally have not been as I had hoped.
 
Fixed blades, I love a nice piece of stag, when you can find it, followed by wood. The secondary market is of little importance to me. Favorites woods are Desert Ironwood, Walnut, California Buckeye burl, Ringed Gidgee and Curly Maple to name a few. Ivory may be in the near future for me.
Bob
 
petah said:
Black G10, Black Micarta, CF, Iron Wood, Ebony, Black Walnut (stabilized if possible). A knife is for using not collecting dust so anything that can stand some hard use and not look like crap after. Sweat, Blood, Salty fog, Mist, Dirt, Scorching dry sun/heat, Teeth shattering cold...
Click to expand...

Wow! Pretty much the same answer as me except for the G10 which I don't like.

I guess I would add brown and green micarta, and some other figured woods like cocobolo, koa and zebrawood. The vast majority of my knives have wood handles, but I do like micarta handles on certain hunters.

I don't really care for fossil ivory, stag or horn. And I absolutely detest pearl and would never buy a knife with a pearl handle.
 
I'll pay a little more for a natural handle, but the overall design of the knife is more important to me that the handle material, whether it's natural or synthetic.
 
Stag then stag and then if at all possible stag


Next very tuff wood like blackwood or cocobolo etc also wood for the reason's Roger mentioned


I don't mind micarta at all
 
Being a fixed and bender fan, I like various handle materials. Very willing to go the extra mile for the ivories, walrus being my favorite. Stag is high on my list for both.

Love wood handles on fixed blades, but pretty picky. Mainly black walnut, curly maple, ringed gidgee and blackwood. Have never bent over backwards for ironwood. I realize its durability, but it has never really flopped my mop.

Love to see the colors mother nature leaves in the walrus and mammoth ivories, and the grained woods. The best of these with quailty steel makes customs a real treat. :thumbup:

- Joe
 
Fixed blade drop points between 3" and 5" are what draw me in. I have them in stainless and carbon steels so for now, I don't have a preference there. But for handle scales, my weakness is stag and highly figured ironwood. And yes, I have gladly paid extra for both.
 
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