Handle Material - What's On Your Customs?

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Here you go! The Wife's EDC in Ossic. Mike
 
Thanks for all the contributions, I see some I need to add. Lots of great choices in handle material.

Raj, thanks for correcting me. And don't mislead people that all you have is that crappy old Sambar Stag. Or send those cord wrapped ones from Jasper to me immediately.

One that I didn't see but I previously owned was Sperm Whale Tooth, on a Winkler.

Win
 
Interesting thread. I was hoping to see more pictures. I have an Oosic handled folder as well as many of the other materials already mentioned.

Not sure why Giraffe bone gets "no respect". While I don't particularly like it dyed unnatural colors, I have seen a lot of nice looking Giraffe bone that looks as good as any Mammoth Ivory (which is not actually ivory once it is fossilized).

Just my opinion FWIW.

Peter
 
Let's see:

Organic:
Sambar Stag
Axis deer stag
Moose "stag"
Giraffe bone :D
Wallnut wood
Snakewood

Synthetic/mineral:
Titanium
Micarta
Carbon fiber
 
Win,you forgot to mention your favourite handle material,"Peppermint-coloured celluloid" :D :D :rolleyes: .
If I had a celluloid handled knife from Jasper.Alabama,I would have sent it out to you.But ugly cord-wrapped knife,NO NO,can't do that to you:)
 
Just running down the list....

elk stag
birch burl
curly maple
whitetail stag
african ox horn
cow horn
blesbok horn
carbon fiber
walnut
ironwood
mastodon ivory
red maple burl
cocobolo
crown stag
olive briarwood
birch briarwood
oak
rosewood
snakewood
cherry
giraffe bone
saatisal wood
mammoth ivory
black palm
malachite
turquoise
sheep horn
camel bone
red mallee
blue sodalite
elephant ivory (pre-ban)
micarta
red jasper
MOP
abalone
quince burl
marble
amboyna burl
garabato wood
leopardskin jasper
guayacan wood
walrus ivory
 
peterinct said:
Interesting thread. I was hoping to see more pictures. I have an Oosic handled folder as well as many of the other materials already mentioned.

Not sure why Giraffe bone gets "no respect". While I don't particularly like it dyed unnatural colors, I have seen a lot of nice looking Giraffe bone that looks as good as any Mammoth Ivory (which is not actually ivory once it is fossilized).

Just my opinion FWIW.

Peter
Click to expand...

Most, if not all "fossilized" ivory is not actually fossilized in that the organic components have not been totally replaced with minerals. Much of it has been STAINED by minerals but "Fossil" ivory is still almost totally ivory. i have seen it referred to as "ancient" ivory which is a more accurate description. if it was fossilized, ou would work it like stone and wouldn't have to worry about the things that you do when working with any ivory, animal tooth, etc.
 
Ebony
Snakewood
Curly Ash
Arizona Desert Ironwood
Wenge Wood
African Blackwood
Olive Briarwood
Cocobolo
Bocote
Thuya Burl
Rosewood
Spalted Maple
Spalted Birch
Brown Micarta
Carbon Fiber
Black G10
Blue G10
Titanium
Aluminum
Damascus
Sterling Silver
Bronze
Mammoth Ivory
Preban Ivory
Buffalo Horn
Mother of Pearl
Black Lip Pearl
Gold Lip Pearl
Paua Shell
Abalone
Sea Snail
Crown Stag
Sambar Stag
Popcorn Stag
Jigged Bone
Giraffe Bone

Good thread, Win! :thumbup:
 
jdm61 said:
Most, if not all "fossilized" ivory is not actually fossilized in that the organic components have not been totally replaced with minerals. Much of it has been STAINED by minerals but "Fossil" ivory is still almost totally ivory. i have seen it referred to as "ancient" ivory which is a more accurate description. if it was fossilized, ou would work it like stone and wouldn't have to worry about the things that you do when working with any ivory, animal tooth, etc.
Click to expand...

Glad you brought this up Joe.
As you, I have wondered why ivory is so often referred as "fossilized" when it's actually not.
"Ancient" is the correct term in my opinion.

If any of you ivory experts out there disagree, please enlighten us.

In addition, I also like natural Giraffe bone. Here's a Jerry Lairson example I previously owned.

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Great thread. Here is one of mine to add that hasn't been listed. Not just for tea and canoe paddles...sassafras.

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Plus, I am not a fan of stone handles, but a huge fan of 'ancient ivory' handles. :D


- Joe
 
my current faves for exotic harwoods are the rosewood family (rosewood, blackwood, etc) and lignum vitae. They are all very dense and heavy, but NOT brittle like ironwood, snakewood and ebony (no splitting or cracking while working them) and even though it is supposed to be the hardest and densenst wood out ther, lignum is surprisingl easy to work........at least until it hardens up in air for a while. When it is still oily, the sawdust looks like yellow cake crumbs and is about the same consistency, but doesn't seem to clog up tools like ironwood does.
 
Up from the depths, just added one with Mammoth tooth to the list. How about others folks, anything new?

Win
 
Well, let's see some pics of that tooth, Win!

The last 15 knives I have received have been handled as follows (most recent first:

1) Quilted Maple
2) Mammoth Ivory
3) Ironwood
4) Green Micarta
5) African Blackwood
6) Stag
7) Walrus Ivory
8 ) African Blackwood
9) Ironwood
10) Mammoth Ivory
11) Mammoth Ivory
12) Buckeye Burl
13) Walnut
14) Stag
15) Snakewood

Roger
 
I have
Elephant
Mammoth
Walrus

I have
Walnut
Curly Maple
Desert Ironwood
Blackwood

I have
Stag(Amber and Natural)
Big Horn
Ramboullet
Merino

Remington Bone
Utica Bone
AG Russel Bone
jigged bone

White Pearl
Blacklip Pearl
Green sea snail

Green Micarta
Black Micarta
Titanium
 
Looks like Roger and Riad have been busy. It's great to see what others like in handle material. Here you go, Roger.

Win

Pease "Boot" knife, Mokume (Just for WWG), Mammoth Ivory collar. This was made for the NY Show but I called Bill and he saved it for me.

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