New to Forum - a Question about Antler vs Wood Handle for Obsidian Blade

[Ray Moayeri]

Greetings everyone! I am new to this forum, and glad to be here. I am also relatively new to the realms of knives

I first bought a couple somewhat fancy Damascus knives a few years back, and recently I have gone on a bit of a shopping spree, for a custom weapon and several more.

Anyway, I am getting to the point where I needed to join this forum, to start increasing my knowledge of the subject.

My first question would be this... I am looking to buy an Obsidian-bladed knife. I am considering two sellers. One makes his knives with wooden handles, and the other with handles made of antler. I have read there are advantages and disadvantages to each. However, the dealer with wooden handles sells his otherwise similar knives for significantly less, from 2/3 to nearly half of the other. Could this be a function of the antler handles being more valuable, monetarily, as in expensive, necessarily? Or could the wood handle crafter simply be offering better deals? I should add, that the wood handles seem to be some more fancy or exotic woods. While the breed of antlers are not specified, though they have features such as bloodstained handle. The Obsidian blade selections for both are very similar.

I should add, I would welcome any suggestions for resources to develop my knowledge of bladed and other weapons, and related subjects such as metallurgy, smithing, etc.

Thanks in advance! And once again, very glad to be here!

 

[BJE]

Welcome to the forums!
Antler tends to cost more than wood. For a knife like that I would pick whichever you want more.
It won’t see any use I imagine, other than just enjoyment of ownership and to look at, so either would work equally well, get the one you like the look of best or you think you would enjoy most. Don’t be too concerned about the difference in price unless it’s substantial, if you buy on price alone you will likely wonder if you would have been happier with the one you really wanted in the first place.

BTW, check out the traditional knives subforum,

Traditional Folders and Fixed Blades

Discussion of classic Hunters, Trappers, Lockbacks, Slipjoints, Skinners and other classic designs

www.bladeforums.com

I can’t think of anything more traditional than obsidian/wood/antler, so if that is where your interests lie, you will be in good company there.

 

[Ray Moayeri]

Welcome to the forums!
Antler tends to cost more than wood. For a knife like that I would pick whichever you want more.
It won’t see any use I imagine, other than just enjoyment of ownership and to look at, so either would work equally well, get the one you like the look of best or you think you would enjoy most. Don’t be too concerned about the difference in price unless it’s substantial, if you buy on price alone you will likely wonder if you would have been happier with the one you really wanted in the first place.

BTW, check out the traditional knives subforum,

Traditional Folders and Fixed Blades

Discussion of classic Hunters, Trappers, Lockbacks, Slipjoints, Skinners and other classic designs

www.bladeforums.com

I can’t think of anything more traditional than obsidian/wood/antler, so if that is where your interests lie, you will be in good company there.

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks so much for all the guidance! Apologies for my late reply, I have been off the grid lol

I ended up buying two from the seller offering wooden blade. I was partial to the idea of horn, but the wood options were very exotic. Also, I preferred the blades this dealer was offering. Sure though, I will likely acquire a horn handle. I would also like ram horn, if anyone can recommend a good example.

Again, thanks for everything, and thanks for the link as well. It is nice to be here.

 

[Chronovore]

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks so much for all the guidance! Apologies for my late reply, I have been off the grid lol

I ended up buying two from the seller offering wooden blade. I was partial to the idea of horn, but the wood options were very exotic. Also, I preferred the blades this dealer was offering. Sure though, I will likely acquire a horn handle. I would also like ram horn, if anyone can recommend a good example.

Again, thanks for everything, and thanks for the link as well. It is nice to be here.

No worries, so long as you don't mind the belated welcome.

Part of the fun is sharing what you got here. Care to post a picture?

 

[Ray Moayeri]

No worries, so long as you don't mind the belated welcome.

Part of the fun is sharing what you got here. Care to post a picture?

Haha thanks again! Any welcome is, well, welcome!

Okay I'll share. Am I allowed to use a pic from the maker's online store? And shall I mention his name?

 

[eveled]

Horn and antler are very different materials, make sure you understand that before buying.

 

[Ray Moayeri]

Horn and antler are very different materials, make sure you understand that before buying.

Right! I understand that horn is like bone, and antler like nails/hair, something along those lines, correct?

 

[eveled]

Also antler varies in quality. The softer porous center is called pith. Sambar stag has almost no pith, which is why it is such a good material.

Bone also makes a good handle material.

 

[jfk1110]

Patiently holding my breath for pictures.

Welcome to the forum.....

Are you going to try them out in any way......A nice steak dinner would be the perfect test for them......
They should be much sharper than anything you have ever used before......
I've been toying with getting one myself......
Again welcome

James

 

[Ray Moayeri]

Also antler varies in quality. The softer porous center is called pith. Sambar stag has almost no pith, which is why it is such a good material.

Bone also makes a good handle material.

Thanks for the info! I have a bone handle jagged damascus knife I bought several years ago. How does bone compare to horn, and to antler?

 

[Ray Moayeri]

Patiently holding my breath for pictures.

Welcome to the forum.....

Are you going to try them out in any way......A nice steak dinner would be the perfect test for them......
They should be much sharper than anything you have ever used before......
I've been toying with getting one myself......
Again welcome

James

Haha thank you for waiting, and again for the welcome, I think these beauties are worth bated breath though, for myself!
Well they were sold as skinners. The seller told me you can sharpen with a 'small copper nail mounted in a stick or an antler tine'. And I do understand that Obsidian can be the sharpest of any natural substance... not sure if that includes a forged natural substance, or how either compare to synthetic materials, if you all would care to elucidate?
I will have to try on my next homemade steal. I would very highly recommend this seller. I guess I am allowed to talk about sellers, right?

 

[jfk1110]

Haha thank you for waiting, and again for the welcome, I think these beauties are worth bated breath though, for myself!
Well they were sold as skinners. The seller told me you can sharpen with a 'small copper nail mounted in a stick or an antler tine'. And I do understand that Obsidian can be the sharpest of any natural substance... not sure if that includes a forged natural substance, or how either compare to synthetic materials, if you all would care to elucidate?
I will have to try on my next homemade steal. I would very highly recommend this seller. I guess I am allowed to talk about sellers, right?
View attachment 2130416View attachment 2130417

Those are awesome!!!! I remember reading that I obsidian scalpels are in use in surgery now as opposed to steel because they are sharper.....Not sure when or where I read it but was duly impressed.......
I do know that under a microscope a metal knife looks like a saw while obsidian has a truly smooth edge!!
That alone was damn impressive..... Let me know how that first steak tastes cut with your new toys!!!
Enjoy....

 

[eveled]

Thanks for the info! I have a bone handle jagged damascus knife I bought several years ago. How does bone compare to horn, and to antler?

Horns are hollow, and stay on for the life of the animal. Because they are hollow they are thin. More suitable for slab handles. They are heated / steamed to flatten them. They sometimes want to go back to their original shape prone to warping. Essentially horn is a fingernail.

Antlers are more like a hard wood branch. Bark on the outside, a tough layer, then a softish middle. Making them ideal to use in the round with a stick tang. I’m told they are made of hair, but you would never know it. The animal drops its antlers and grows new ones every year. The soft middle layer is pith, REAL Sanbar Stag has the least pith. Making it the most desirable.

Bone is dense and basically very stable and strong.


I do not think horn will lend itself very well to this type of a knife.

 

[eveled]

These are hornView attachment 2130508
Interesting how the light shines through View attachment 2130509
Jigged buffalo horn. Jigged to give texture and to resemble Impala hornView attachment 2130513
Because it is so thin, they used wood for a middle layer. View attachment 2130517
These are Sambar StagView attachment 2130510
You can see how dense the center is View attachment 2130512
These are smooth bone very dense, can be ground jigged filed, etc. View attachment 2130526
the biggest plus to bone in my opnion, it looks sort of similar to ivory. But is stronger cheaper and less controversial

 

[Bob Denman]

Sorry for being late to the part; but welcome to our group insanity!
And those knives are GORGEOUS!!!

 

[dirc]

in case you wanted reference, yes - better than steel in terms of sharpness... but not nearly as tough

How Stone Age blades are still cutting it in modern surgery | CNN

Obsidian is a volcanic glass used to make tools for Stone-Age man -- and for modern surgeons.

www.cnn.com

 

[scdub]

And I do understand that Obsidian can be the sharpest of any natural substance... not sure if that includes a forged natural substance, or how either compare to synthetic materials, if you all would care to elucidate?

Obsidian is neat.

I believe that a good flake of obsidian is sharper than anything else humans are aware of, but we’re talking about a single, fresh flake mounted onto a handle:

While your obsidian knives can be sharpened and will certainly cut, they won’t cut nearly as well as a sharp steel knife, and the edges will chip away as they become dull.

My friend got this one for me many years ago:


While I like it a lot I don’t use it to cut stuff, and I personally wouldn’t cut food with it because I don’t think I’d like biting down on little pieces of volcanic glass.

ETA: Forgot to say: Welcome to Bladeforums!

 

[eveled]

I’ve always been intrigued by these. But would never buy one. I’m certain I’d drop it and see it shatter.