Heavy handles (like ivory) ???

[Phil Dwyer]

How do you good folks work with qualities like balance in knives that have extremely heavy handle material, especially stuff like hefty ivory pieces? Are you primarily just making honking big blades, or what?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

There is little you can do about the weight of ivory and stone handles.
That is why using them as scales with thin section or on smaller handles is preferred over a bigger handle. A somewhat larger blade is a way to balance the knife better.
Some ivory is lighter than others. Fossil walrus can be very heavy, while some mammoth can be as light as wood.

 

[argel55]

Depending on your handle size and whether it is full tang or hidden tang. Full tang you can drill holes in the tang to lighten it or mill the whole interior out to help lighten it.