Pocket knife handle materials

[robertj298]

I'm curious about all the different handle materials. Bone and stag seem to be the most popular but are they really the best choice for a carry pocket knife? My only bone handled knife, a case mini trapper had a chunk of the handle crack off after a couple years and I've seen many never used knifes with cracks in the bone usually around the pins. I would imagine delrin would be more durable but probably not as attrative? How about wood such as rosewood or some of the other more exotic woods? Would they be more durable than bone?

 

[Alnamvet68]

From my perspective, bone is extremely durable, while wood products are the least durable. Of all the synthetics, I will say Dupont's Delrin is the most durable, while the new wave micarta's and G10's running second in durability. As far as attractiveness of Delrin on a knife, you be the judge....

 

[VCM3]

I have been messing around now for a while putting handles on knives . I see alot of them after use. IMO African Blackwood is some tough stuff,cocobolo,too. Micarta IMO is at the top for durability. Yeah I know it does not look traditional,but lemme tell you,if they had it way back when,they would've used it. Those Case folders with carbon fiber should be pretty tough too

 

[arrowhd]

G10 may not be the most traditional material but sure is tough.

 

[Will Power]

G-10 looks OK to me on Traditional knives.

Micarta can be really excellent, it suits the Traditional style and it can get hammered and shake it off

 

[Alnamvet68]

Micarta is OK, but I'm really old school when it comes to traditional knives, bone, stag, or Delrin; that said, that rough or canvas micarta can be a pain since it so easily absorbs stains, and just looks so cheap with minimal use. My GEC #47 in OD micarta seems to be exceptional in that depending on lighting conditions, it gives off an aura of ebony wood. Insofar as G10, I like them on my more modern knives, and while Case's G10 offerings look very nice, I feel it takes away from what I believe a traditional knife should be like.

 

[jackknife]

While I have no problem with synthetics like delrin, my feeling is if it's traditional, then I want traditional materials. I carried a Buck 301 stockman for 25 years, and it was a good knife, and the delrin scales were still there when I retired it. Stood up for all kinds of use. But wood and bone has a feel that the synthetics just can't begin to match. As for the so called lack of durability of wood, I haven't seen too many old Buck 110's with broken scales, or old Russell Green River knives with the handles still in decent condition with half the blade worn away. Wood has been the traditional handle material for working knives for centuries. Old Sheffield pruning knives and jacks with ebony scales have withstood a century of use, and are still in good condition even though the rest of the knife is a wreck.

With a little care, the traditional organic handles will out last the owner.

This knife was made in the shop on the Moran farm in about 1943, by a German POW named Albert Wurtz, who had worked in the Solingen cutlery trade. He found out the young farmer whose family owned the farm was obsessed with learning to make knives, so he showed a young Bill Moran how to make folders. The stag handles stood up for almost 50 years of steady use as Bill Moran's personal pocket knife, before being retired for a Hen and Rooster stag half stockman. Given to me a few weeks before his passing, I've used it as a pocket knife and now it's about 70 years old. Aside from some shrinking of the stag along the edge of the liners, it's still in fine shape. The blade is about a third gone from use though.

 

[SVTFreak]

I think the traditional materials are nice but have limitations. For my daily carry slippie, I had Todd make it from Orange g10 (his recommendation) for durability, imperviousness to blood, oil and the like, and bright color so I could find it if dropped or set down.

 

[waynorth]

Carl, I love seeing that Stag folding knife and hearing the story behind it.
In my view, it came from a trained artisan in an inspired moment!

 

[link2derek]

Micarta is very durable also, and it's very consistent in its finish (as opposed to bone, stag, or wood, which will vary greatly from piece to piece). In addition, Micarta is lighter than G-10 (if weight is a factor for you):

 

[robertj298]

This is copied from another website and pertains to bone handles

The first problem with them is that all the materials listed on this page are somewhat porous, and this effects stability. There are lesser and greater degrees of porosity, and that helps with good choices for handle applications. Being porous and organic, these materials absorb moisture, loose moisture, absorb contaminants, salts, and soil. Extra care must be taken to keep the handle material clean and dry. Sudden changes in relative humidity (like moving from a damp forested environment to a dry air conditioned room) can cause such a variation in moisture content that the material shrinks and cracks away from bolsters, guards, or pins within hours.

Temperature also affects these materials radically. Putting a bone or ivory handled knife in the direct sun or under a bright display lamp for a couple hours can ruin it. Part of the problem is moisture content, but another factor is the coefficient of thermal expansion. Since the coefficient is much different than steel, movement can be outright extreme. Often, pins and epoxy do not prevent movement, and eventually the bone, horn, or ivory shrinks, checks, and cracks away from the pins, bolsters and tang. This does not necessarily mean the end of the knife. As long as the knife is kept reasonably dry, it should last in service.

Light can be another enemy. Many of these organic materials react to the long term exposure of light, sometimes bleaching and becoming flat in color and depth. Since they are usually laying on one side, the other side will not bleach, and then the knife looks like a different handle material was put on each side. On a hidden tang knife it can look as if it's been laying in the desert for a century. And the intensity of the light also adds to the effects of drying detailed above.

Sometimes, checking in ivory is an advantage. It testifies to the age of the knife handle, and elephant ivory is graceful and forgiving in its yellowing and checking. It's proof that it is indeed ivory, because replacements (like Micarta® and phenolic plastics) never change, age, or check.

Another disadvantage is toughness and hardness. Organic materials like horn, shell, bone, and ivory can easily be scratched, dented, scarred, and stained. Though some are tougher than others, they are not physically strong materials. Some are brittle, some are downright delicate so special care must be used in mounting them on the handle, and the knife and handle itself must be cared for with extra consideration.

Size and shape can be another limiting factor in knife handle design. Most of these materials are derived from curved pieces, and the geometry of the knife handle must incorporated these curves to exhibit the most from the handle material. Particularly, this can limit the width of the handle. Sections must sometimes be made thin to take advantage of the display area of the material, and this further threatens overall strength. That is why so many mammoth ivory handles, for instance, are used on smaller or folding knives. The curve of the tusk can not be fully applied to the handle flats if the handle is wide and large.

 

[bronyblacksmith]

Micarta is very tough and pseudo traditional (1960's)

 

[Campbellclanman]

While I have no problem with synthetics like delrin, my feeling is if it's traditional, then I want traditional materials. I carried a Buck 301 stockman for 25 years, and it was a good knife, and the delrin scales were still there when I retired it. Stood up for all kinds of use. But wood and bone has a feel that the synthetics just can't begin to match. As for the so called lack of durability of wood, I haven't seen too many old Buck 110's with broken scales, or old Russell Green River knives with the handles still in decent condition with half the blade worn away. Wood has been the traditional handle material for working knives for centuries. Old Sheffield pruning knives and jacks with ebony scales have withstood a century of use, and are still in good condition even though the rest of the knife is a wreck.

With a little care, the traditional organic handles will out last the owner.

This knife was made in the shop on the Moran farm in about 1943, by a German POW named Albert Wurtz, who had worked in the Solingen cutlery trade. He found out the young farmer whose family owned the farm was obsessed with learning to make knives, so he showed a young Bill Moran how to make folders. The stag handles stood up for almost 50 years of steady use as Bill Moran's personal pocket knife, before being retired for a Hen and Rooster stag half stockman. Given to me a few weeks before his passing, I've used it as a pocket knife and now it's about 70 years old. Aside from some shrinking of the stag along the edge of the liners, it's still in fine shape. The blade is about a third gone from use though.

Carl, I didn't know such a knife existed - what a treasure you have there!

 

[John L]

Of all the natural materials I think stag is the most durable with bone and all the ivories a distant second. I have never seen a cracked stag handle and it also ages very well. Bone is brittle and if dropped has a good chance of cracking as does ivory. Now...that being said...I love elephant ivory the most and to me is the most beautiful. It also ages well and will not easily crack if hafted correctly. Of the woods...ebony and ironwoods seem to be the most durable. Of all the man made materials Micarta surely is durable along with G10. A few of the plastics are also very durable but appear to be a bit lifeless to me. Canvas Micartas show dirt and oil and thus age very rapidly bit still perform well. Linen and paper Micartas also show staining but perform well. There are very many other naturals....whale, sea cow, walrus, mammoth bones; many woods stabilized and not, ivories including mammoth, walrus, warthog, hippo, narwhal; all of the horned animals; stones, meteorites and the list goes on. It really is never ending and your imagination is the limit of it all.

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

Carl- that little folder is my favourite knife that I don't want to own, Thank you for sharing the story to keep the history of that knife alive!!

Here are a couple of old working examples in bone,wood, stag and pearl. All in great shape and all have seen a decent amount of pocket time even before me! Just to show that while micartas and g10 are extremely durable, if it is a traditional handle material them it has stood the test of time and should work well. I am somebody who kind of shakes my head a bit over "most durable, longest lasting....." It's a knife, it's meant to show use, and unless you are abusive with knives then any materials in modern use should be good enough to last many years. And to be honest I usually run into cracked handles in synthetics when looking at older knives in antique malls, flea markets etc. The bone and wood handles seem to last better in my experience from these examples.

 

[robertj298]

What makes me wonder is that I see a lot of mint bone handled knives for sale, some state never sharpened never carried with cracks in the bone.