Dad made a knife out of a file when I was 40 or so years younger. He used old credit cards for spacers, red & white, and leather shoe sole material for the handle with an aluminum but-cap. That knife has been in salt-water, deer, ducks, various and sundry fish, etc. My grandfather broke the blade tip off hacking a very large red fish into smaller pieces using the knife with a hammer. I still have that knife, with the broken blade. The handle still looks good and holds firm in the hand, wet or dry. I guess that it has my favorite handle.
I have gotten the wife Forschner kitchen knives with the molded handles, corpral tunnel for both of us. The large handles work well for us. I have knives with plastic, Ti, carbon fiber, wood, stag, and ivory scales. I like all of them for different reasons.
Ask questions, listen to all of the answers, and make a decision on the handle material. The most important thing is to take care of the handle material and it should last almost forever.
Dwight