Micarta or Wood Handles?

[birdsbeaks]

Yes, wood is 'natural' and it looks good new but a lot of it (Birch less so..) has a habit of ending up a rather uninspiring turd colour, grain and burl can vanish with darkening.

Patience, Will! After the uninspiring turd colo(u)r comes an underwhelming turd colo(u)r, followed by a muddy turd colo(u)r - but, but, but, after that, and with enough hand oils and UV light, comes a dark and mysterious black that everyone will mistake for ebony and will feel right at home in the pocket of your favo(u)rite tux!

 

[Horsewright]

As I work almost exclusively with natural materials I vote for........wait for it........... yep wood! I realize synthetics are probably more practical and more definitely durable but to me they lack the soul of natural materials. Kydex too.

 

[Will Power]

birdsbeaks Right you are Will But I find my Red Handled Mora is resistant to it...but then I think of the Stones' song Paint It Black " I see a red door and I want it painted black" Turdevolution....

Thanks, will.i.am

 

[Old Engineer]

Wood preferred over Micarta

Harry

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

As I work almost exclusively with natural materials I vote for........wait for it........... yep wood! I realize synthetics are probably more practical and more definitely durable but to me they lack the soul of natural materials. Kydex too.

Soul is the word I too use to describe the difference, something your work does not lack

 

[Arathol]

Wood is good.....

 

[Will Power]

I concede it does have its moments

 

[screened porch]

[edited to add, I guess this is a long-winded way to say, "No firm preference".]

Maybe it's how I'm aging, but I like impervious materials more and more. Or maybe I'm aging with memory problems, because I always liked Buck's black phenolic.
I got this one sheathless for $10 from a non-knife guy.

Not quite impervious, I'll admit.

I've never seen a Buck knife so rusty either.

But I also like the leather washers on my Camilluses and Schrade, and the burl on my Brusletto, and the birch bark on my Jarvenpaa, and the antler on my mysterious Hungarian Dixon.
And synthetic antler and delrin.

I'm a little dubious about horn.

 

[calm]

I used to avoid micarta as I liked the look of interesting wood and the natural feel it has.

However, since using some, decent, micarta handled knives I now enjoy micarta more than wood.
It may not have the beauty of wood, but it feels like a natural material, is grippy, I do not have to worry about getting it wet, dry or dirty or dropping it or getting splinters.

Carefree use and natural feel. And some even look OKish.

 

[Horsewright]

Soul is the word I too use to describe the difference, something your work does not lack

Thank you!

 

[Rupestris]

Green micarta is a favorite of mine.

It’s my go-to in fixed blades if available.