Matching scales - how much do you care?

[powernoodle]

I don't care about matching scales. To me, its like a dog with a mottled coat. One side may be this and that, the other side may be something else. Or maybe half the dog's face is black, and the other half white. Its unique, it gives character, and its an identifiable feature that only that animal has. Same thing with scales, at least for me. And I like a knife that doesn't look exactly like everyone else's knife.

 

[Modoc ED]

When it comes to Stag, I don't care if the covers match side to side as far as coloring goes but I do like some detail on each cover -- i.e., same or close to the same degree of knarliness.

When it comes to Bone, I don't care one bit if the covers match side to sid. As a matter of fact, I like mismatched covers from side to side.

Here is a Case CV 6347 5-dot (1985 manufacture) Stockman that I got yesterday. The cover on the mark side is reddish brown while the cover on the pile side is light brown to very dark brown (almost black).

Some pictures that I have posted in the following thread are good examples of other Case knives with mismatched covers.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/946173-scales

 

[Rick]

It really depends on the handle material in question, but generally, I can live with a less-than-glaring mismatch, as long as the two scales appear to be cut from the same cloth...ur, antler/horn/tusk/baculum, etc. For example, if two stag scales markedly differ from one another in terms of figure, I can live with 'em as long as the underlying color and basic texture look as though they sprouted from the deer's forehead more or less concurrently. OTOH, if one scale has a blue/gray substrate with black figuring and the other is amber with brown on top, it's outta here, even if both sides are beautifully figured.

The other factor is rarity. I've gladly settled for some wince-inducing bone scale mismatches *cough*Case*cough* on pristine antique knives.

BTW, Fausto - the horn on your knife looks perfectly fine to me.

 

[festerfromnzed]

Unfinished project...excuse bad pinning,unfinished grind,poor pics etc......just trying to show direct opposites of same piece of stag...Sika in this case.......................FES

 

[Modoc ED]

The other factor is rarity. I've gladly settled for some wince-inducing bone scale mismatches *cough*Case*cough* on pristine antique knives.

That's the way it was with Case knives up to and a little ways into the 1990s Rick -- mismatched scales. Not an everyday find but not uncommon. I would never consider passing up an early model Case because of mismatched scales, especially, a Stockman, Trapper, Texas Jack, or Barlow.

 

[dannyp]

As long as I like each side individually, it doesn't bother me if they don't match each other. I wouldn't have a problem with any of the knives posted so far in this thread. There are variances with natural materials and that's part of the appeal for me. It gives the knife a bit of character.

I will say that those makers who put in the effort to match scales deserve the recognition of being a step above those that don't.

 

[black mamba]

Mis-matched scales are pretty much a deal breaker for me. I wouldn't even consider buying a knife that I couldn't see both scales before purchasing, and I'd much rather have two lesser scales that matched than a knife with one great scale and one much different.

 

[Campbellclanman]

I guessI am like everyone else...IF? I could get a perfect match...I would always go for that...
I have a John Lloyd with Beautiful Stag scales, one is the perfect Stag scale lovely colour and texture, and the reverse( sorry, the pile side ) side has a lot whiter scale ( in my opinion it would always be a second choice ) this knife is the one that I use to sharpen my drawing pencils when I sit down and try to be somewhat creative, I find having a Traditional there with me ...it helps me, as it is always a lot more difficult to get a pin-point sharpen on a Coloured pencil using a knife - compared to a machine sharpener-but I just cant do it that way...it has to be my way...please forgive the mental going on, Im just trying to pass on the whole atmosphere when you "zone in" to what you are doing..here is my drawing John Lloyd...
Here is the scale that I just love..

And the side that leaves me slightly cold...although I have accepted this..and as time and use has gone by....it has got better - this is in NO WAY a reflection of Johns simply stunning work-we are talking about materials here NOT the maker

 

[Paradiggum]

I don't so much mind if they don't match visually. But when they're vastly different in thickness it bothers me. I have a couple where one scale is quite a bit thicker than the other. Both are bone.
I still can't find my camera or I'd post a pic of what I'm talking about.

 

[richstag]

Mis-matched scales are pretty much a deal breaker for me. I wouldn't even consider buying a knife that I couldn't see both scales before purchasing, and I'd much rather have two lesser scales that matched than a knife with one great scale and one much different.

Ditto!

There are too many knives out there not to just wait for one that meets your preferences. Or find the right custom maker that pays attention to every little detail. It may cost, but so what.

Kevin

 

[Will Power]

I don't care about matching scales. To me, its like a dog with a mottled coat. One side may be this and that, the other side may be something else. Or maybe half the dog's face is black, and the other half white. Its unique, it gives character, and its an identifiable feature that only that animal has. Same thing with scales, at least for me. And I like a knife that doesn't look exactly like everyone else's knife.

Yes, good point! The neighbour's cat is an odd looking thing, all sorts of camo style mottling uneven, but she's pretty.

As I wrote on a similar thread, mis-matched scales are OK for the the above reasons- if both sides are attractive. It's ILL-MATCHED scales that are the bugbear. very . different thicknesses,textures or horror of horrors jigging patterns. If a knife has a shield it doesn't need perfectly matched scales, unless of course you want a shield on both sides...

Thanks, Will

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

I can tolerate some mismatch, but I have a few that that do bother me.

I think that wood and bone should match closer then stag or mammoth ivory. Some makers use "book matched" wood scales. That is the pinnacle of detail to me.

Here's an example of one that bothers me. It's mammoth ivory and not matched at all to my eye. It may not be as clear as it could be in the pictures but the color and texture are both different.
View attachment 272757View attachment 272758

Sums up my opinion pretty well. I need the scales to be in the same vein. Take stag- if one side is smooth bark and the other popcorn then it ruins the aesthetic for me. I'm pretty picky in that the stag should be ground very similar as well, nicely matched but having one side white around both bolsters because a thick and thin scale was used is not acceptable to me. I have an issue with much Case stag as I feel they misuse much of their stag and grind off the character in many cases. I recently saw some plastic clamshell Puma Stag handled fixed blade knives during our first visit to the first Cabellas and I left disgusted. Scales that were black on one side almost, with pale on the other; at least 1/4" difference in thickness, not to mention a lot of pith showing on many, and the scales already peeling away from the tangs! Plus they wanted $150-180 each. This I took as an insult to the customers, and will probably never purchase a new Puma as a result.

I don't mind variation among scales, but the dying should be close. Modoc's darker scale is the kind of scale that shows poor planning to me- way too much removal on a prepared surface. My first experience with new Case knives was very similar- especially with the red Seahorse Whittler in "red" scales. There were areas of white and pink throughout the piece that did not match side to side either, so it wasn't just the grinding needed to shape the bone. As to the OP knife I don't know how much it would bother me, as it seems more purposeful of a design feature rather than poor material choice/maker apathy.

I posted the following thread (3 YEARS AGO-wow time flies) based on apparent acceptance of mismatched scales in production, and wanted to get the collector/maker opinions.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/631619-Unmatched-scales
Duncan's Lloyd would bother me as well. I have a selection of knives from him and know that they are quality users, but that is too much variation for me. I have a Youkon Jack Lloyd with mammoth scales that has variation in activity of the coloring, but the shading is so similar that it is within tolerances for my purposes.

Yesterday I carried a well used stockman that I found last year for $10-15 at an antique show. It has medium brown Jigged bone on one side and darker bone on the other. There are some variation to the jigging used on each side, but it is close, and the variation in color could be attributed to the extra oils from the palm of the hand being used through the years- I've noticed the palm side of smaller knives tend to be pushed firmly against my palm, while finger contact is more variable depending on tasks- it could be responsible in part for the difference.

It might not affect the usability in most cases (except extreme thickness differences as in the Puna example above) but it still matters to me!
Kris

 

[Peter Parker]

I pretty much expect it and except it on stag like handles(buffalo horn, elk horn etc.), and on bone I don't mind if it's a little off but if it's way off it will most likely go bye-bye. I had gotten a red bone Case peanut a long time ago that had the prettiest old dark bone on one side and nearly pink on the other; I had to get rid of it!