Kirinite?

[Lorien]

not a big fan of phenolic resin based composites personally.
I do have a soft spot for unidirectional carbon fiber especially when it's custom laid for a handle. For all out performance, but a pretty boring look, I like terotuf.
The phenolic resins available these days offer any look a guy could desire. You could cast a scorpion, or gold nuggets into a clear phenolic resin handle if you wanted. Or the locks of hair from your firstborn. It always blew my mind that people would use an old shirt or something to cast a composite, when you could really do something meaningful and/or totally one off.
At any rate, I do prefer more or less natural material to almost any prefab composite, unless like I said performance was the goal in which case I'm liking the polyester based terotuf.

 

[Doug C]

I agree with Joe.
Bone on this one.

Not to mention bone is de rigeur on some historical traditional knife patterns.

Doug

 

[Diez Knives]

Kirinte is almost the same as resin materials or epoxy handles. You should check out beyond wood products, he's got some hybrid wood resins scales which he can pretty much make what ever you request.

 

[Jon Brand]

I like micarta and carbon fiber. I just find this stuff ugly- not because its synthetic.

Bone CAN look good but most knives I have seen with it are not very well made and don't show its full potential.

 

[jdm61]

How does red deer antler work for handle material? It is pretty much the same as elk? We have a fair bit of it wandering around the US on the hoof nowadays. I know why sambar is the preferred material. it is just head and shoulders above most other antler material looks wise, but it is a bit thin on the ground and for some reason, not too many of those deer have made it to hunting preserves here in the US like a lot of their cousins have. We have a lot of exotics down here, but the only "herd" that I know of in my region is on a VERY strictly protected and access controlled island wildlife preserve up in the Florida panhandle.

 

[Knuts]

Kirinite is straight up fugly. It just looks incredibly cheesy and trashy. It's a new material that looks outdated.

I mean just look at this:

 

[carbonsteel928]

I like micarta and carbon fiber. I just find this stuff ugly- not because its synthetic.

Bone CAN look good but most knives I have seen with it are not very well made and don't show its full potential.

+1 Kitinite has always looked out of place on knives in my view.

 

[jjtjr]

I also like natural materials. I think that bone can look very good.

I have had people tell me that they like the ivory on this slipjoint with a bone handle.



I think that Giraffe bone can also be a nice handle material.

 

[JParanee]

Now that ivory has fallen under such scrutiny stag will reign supreme and get harder to get and more expensive

Stag is my favorite natural handle material

When it comes to synthetics I am a phenolic guy all the way

A little carbon fiber in the middle

 

[gudspelr]

Hi, Jeremy.

I do not think that bone exhibits much depth, dimensionality, or variance from article to article. And I think it is a bad combination of cheap and boring. Kind of morbid, too. Kirinite is also cheap, but not boring. Or morbid. And it seems to exhibit depth and variance from article to article.

I am not a fan of dyed stag either - and even less a fan of dyed wood. At least something like kirinite "knows" that it's artificial. Dyed stag and dyed wood are dishonest about it - artificial materials masquerading as natural.

In the end it is all a matter of personal taste, right? And when it comes down to that, folks just like what they like, I guess.

Not sure I answered your questions . . . but not sure that I can, any better than that.

Thank you very much for the response and yes, it most certainly answers my question. I wholeheartedly agree that it is a matter of personal taste. As a guy who's a little limited in experience, I appreciate understanding other people's views on materials, etc. If you end up getting a knife with Kirinite, I'd be curious for your thoughts on it. Thanks for bringing up the topic.


Jeremy

 

[Diez Knives]

Red and black kirinte



Red and black resin



And toxic green and black wood hybrid

 

[The Amazing Virginian]

Ken, what's ya been drinkin'??

Joe

Hi, Joe. How ya' been?

Sorry, but I don't like it. Especially camel bone. Don't own any bone handled knives. Jigging it doesn't make it any better to me. Glad you're happy with it, though!

Stag and Wood are natural materials, regardless of surface treatment.

Nothing natural about dying wood to be green or blue, or dying stag orange. Never seen a maple tree with blue wood. And it is not just "surface treatment." And BTW, neither is stabilization.

Yurz.

 

[Doug C]

or dying stag orange.

Potassium permanganate can be found at water softener places. It was the traditional sanitizer used for dipping Sambar stag antler prior to exporting from India. That's where Sambar stag got it's classic rich brown color.

Mark's post above has always been my understanding of why sambar stag is orange, amber and/or brown.

Doug

 

[SharpByCoop]

Ken,

I applaud that you'd put it out there and project this as a viable material. Without question it's rich and varied. Me: I love color, so it's not that offensive.

I've ALWAYS been a fan of synthetics, and Joe's examples of Sam and Nicks Micarta projects are dreamy and elegant.

You're thinking out of the box.

I'm guessing it would have some allowance as a spacer material, instead of a full large handle. Or an inset. Like all things rich, too much might be too much.

It appears to be a great accent material to me.

This material probably appeals to a new generation of buyers. We've talked about that, and woe are those who disregard it.

I may be wrong. However, Loveless' green canvas Micarta is considered one of his classics, yet it's also an acquired taste.

Coop

 

[ddd]

Here is a snapshot of a small beauty with a Kirinite handle that my friend
Antonio Montejano made for Tehiya, my wife, when she became sick....

She loved it and carried it in her bag wherever she went for more than a year....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[Bob Ohlemann]

I am finding this to be a very interesting discussion. Being new to knifemaking, I am still trying to find my style. Personally, I enjoy all well crafted knives regardless of materials or style. I feel that flashy materials like Kirinite can be part of a high end knife but need to be used with care as to not be overpowering or gaudy. As an art form, knifemaking is both traditional and progressive. Without the willingness to seek out and try new materials, designs, and techniques, it would stagnate.

Bob

 

[Markesharp]

Joe is that a Tony Bose creation? That is one awesome knife.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Stag and Wood are natural materials, regardless of surface treatment.

Nothing natural about dying wood to be green or blue, or dying stag orange. Never seen a maple tree with blue wood. And it is not just "surface treatment." And BTW, neither is stabilization. Yurz.

I absolutely agree with you on the 'Wild" un-natural colors. However IMO, dying/staining stag to a more rich amber color or staining a wood handle to enhance the finish makes the handle no more un-natural than applying a beautiful stained finish to a piece of fine wood furniture.

 

[canineforge]

Joe is that a Tony Bose creation? That is one awesome knife.

Yes, a Tony Bose slimline trapper. Scales are some old 'Remington' bone. It is hard not to like jigged bone if you have any traditional blood running in your veins.

- Joe

 

[canineforge]

Hi, Joe. How ya' been?
Sorry, but I don't like it.

Hi, Ken. I've been good. Feel like I've spent the winter in MN instead of MO, though. You going to Atlanta this year?

Always appreciate threads on new and different ideas on here. I had heard a few years ago that Kirinite might be a new popular knife handle material. I can't see it spreading very far in the custom world, but it is a consideration for something new and unusual. I don't think I will be in the market. I have had a hard time transitioning into some of the tactical field and synthetics, but I am getting there. Will still be a natural handle guy for the most part I am afraid, even for use.

Best, Joe