MOP practical?

G

GABaus

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May 7, 2017
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I am not asking as to whether or not mother of pearl a good deal from a price standpoint, but would like to know if the material has any properties that would make it less useful if is used as a handle material.
 
It's a bit delicate to pin in place, and is a bit slick, but that's all.
knives it's used on are normally not hard use blades that would require a super grip or be handled with wet or greasy hands.
Other than cost and how fragile it can be to work with I would say it's extremely practical and has no other downsides because it's not for knives where many factors come into play.
These knives cut small stuff and look nice doing it, that's all.
 
Pearl's not fragile, unless dropped, but bone will crack when dropped too. It is comparatively soft, but also tough. It will scratch if carried with your keys. I have a vintage pearl handled slipjoint doctor's knife. It's been carried many years by previous owners. The surface has a cloudiness from repeated rubbing with whatever was in the pocket, but the luster is readily restored with a light polish. I didn't buff it, since I kind of like the slightly ground glass look. When I got it, there was a crack at the spring pin and a small piece missing. I epoxied it about 15 years ago and carry it still. Hasn't changed. Cracking at the spring pin is a sign of poor workmanship. It happens with other covers like bone, wood, and even delrin.

If you want a pearl knife for daily carry, get it with two bolsters to protect the ends if dropped.
 
I've owned this Mike Alsdorf custom for just under 3 years and I carry it quite a bit. I haven't dropped it yet and I only use it for light duty so I can't really say how well it would hold up under stress.

I had similar concerns before I bought this knife from Mike so I asked him about the durability of the MOP inlays. His answer was somewhat vague but he replied that I would be surprised how durable it actually is.

Alsdorf.JPG
 
Railsplitter said:
I've owned this Mike Alsdorf custom for just under 3 years and I carry it quite a bit. I haven't dropped it yet and I only use it for light duty so I can't really say how well it would hold up under stress.

I had similar concerns before I bought this knife from Mike so I asked him about the durability of the MOP inlays. His answer was somewhat vague but he replied that I would be surprised how durable it actually is.

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Well, it's awfully pretty.
 
MOP has been used on traditional knives (including Stockman/Cattle Knives and other hard work knives, not just office or "gentlemen's" knives) for hundreds of years.
It is a durable handle material.
 
Ooh. Got me thinking now. A Benchmade Sequel with MOP inlay might be kinda cool. Hmmmm..........
 
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