Recent Handle Material Thread?

This is the only Giraffe Bone knife that I own:

fiskgiraffebone001copy-1.jpg


I got it 7 1/2 years ago from Jerry Fisk at the ABS Northeast Hammer-in near Albany, NY. I loved the damascus pattern and think that the Sendero is a great stlye of knife. My preferred handle material is Mammoth or Walrus Ivory, but I was very happy to acquire this knife from Jerry at the Hammer-in, especially since his waiting list was about 5 years long at the time.

I have had no problem with the bone cracking and think that it can be a nice looking handle material.

Jim Treacy
 
RogerP said:
It certainly doesn't have to, but to each his own.

I think that there is a misconception that those who consider investment value as an aspect of their collecting somehow enjoy their knives less. This simply isn't so.

Roger
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more Roger.

I'm crazy about my last three knives purchased over recent months (Josh Smith T/D Fighter, Loveless NO Special, Royer Ring Bowie), and could turn a profit on each if I were to sell them tomarrow.
Did I buy them to make a profit? NO
Is my pleasure of ownership diminished because I could profit? I don't think so. ;) :)
 
Last edited:
jjtjr said:
This is the only Giraffe Bone knife that I own:

fiskgiraffebone001copy-1.jpg


I got it 7 1/2 years ago from Jerry Fisk at the ABS Northeast Hammer-in near Albany, NY. I loved the damascus pattern and think that the Sendero is a great stlye of knife. My preferred handle material is Mammoth or Walrus Ivory, but I was very happy to acquire this knife from Jerry at the Hammer-in, especially since his waiting list was about 5 years long at the time.

I have had no problem with the bone cracking and think that it can be a nice looking handle material.

Jim Treacy
Click to expand...

Very nice Sendero Jim. As you know Jerry has made very few knives with Giraffe bone, could make this one worth more.
 
Last edited:
I have to disagree with you guys a bit. Only obtaining knives that can make you a profit doesn't mean you'll enjoy your purchases less but you will pass on knives that would otherwise have pleased you. That GB Fisk is a perfect example. Honestly, which of you guys would have passed on it solely because of the handle material? After years, and I know it's unlikely I'll ever find a modern one, I'd still buy a Sendero without the divots on the spine if I found one. Whether it had GB or rhino horn... :D Don't think I'd enjoy it less than any of my other knives but my philosophy is buy what you "love". Not better that any other but collecting with a "capitalist" view narrows down the choices. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with the thrill of the hunt and being satisfied in bagging a trophy...
 
I'll admit, while at the 2009 Arkansas show I did pass on an outstanding Jerry Lairson small bowie that had a BEAUTIFUL giraffe bone handle with a rose carved into it. If it was ivory, I would have bought it in a heartbeat. I'll admit, I was thinking secondary market, but looking back I wish I would have bought it.
Bob
 
I once purchased a knife with Dall sheephorn on it, commissioned it specifically, and the material cracked right through...had it replaced with white mop, and still own that knife.

Had a knife with white elephant ivory once, a Jody Samson piece, I think it was, and it started cracking, and I sold it to Paul Basch, who didn't really care, because it was a Jody Samson knife, and the crack was more of a "check".

Had really nice knife that I loved, and the handle material started shrinking....I offered it to a good friend, and he is happy to own it.

In answer to Jose's question, YES, I would not take that Sendero because of the handle material. There are so few opportunities for virtual perfection in life, and having one of the knives that I own be "just so" is what I look for. If this limits me to synthetics, stag, pearl and good stable woods, I can live with that. I know collectors who have knives with nothing but Desert Ironwood on their handles, and there seems to be such a variety of looks, there is nothing boring about those(2 I know of) collections.

I am pretty sure that 2knife only owns knives with sheephorn handles, and he finds nothing lacking about that.

Different strokes for different folks, but I do say that the folks who has a whole lot of GB in his collection should totally LOVE his or her knives.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Jose Reyes said:
I have to disagree with you guys a bit. Only obtaining knives that can make you a profit doesn't mean you'll enjoy your purchases less but you will pass on knives that would otherwise have pleased you. That GB Fisk is a perfect example. Honestly, which of you guys would have passed on it solely because of the handle material? After years, and I know it's unlikely I'll ever find a modern one, I'd still buy a Sendero without the divots on the spine if I found one. Whether it had GB or rhino horn... :D Don't think I'd enjoy it less than any of my other knives but my philosophy is buy what you "love". Not better that any other but collecting with a "capitalist" view narrows down the choices. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with the thrill of the hunt and being satisfied in bagging a trophy...
Click to expand...

You misunderstand my approach Jose. By no means do I restrict my purchases ONLY to knives that will likely result in a profit on future resale. It's just that, as a general rule, future resale plays a role in my overall assement of the value of the knife - just as maker, materials, design, execution and embellishment play a role. I certainly have bought knives knowing full well that future resale would be iffy at best. But such knives represent the exception, rather than the rule. And the purchases were made with eyes wide open. Furthermore, it bears emphasis that ALL the pruchases I make are of "knives that I like" - so let's please do away with the concept of buying what you like and buying with investment value in mind as mutually exclusive endeavors.

Again, incorporating considerations of future resale into one's purchase decisions does NOT render the exercise a passionless, joyless variation of day trading stocks. Nobody has to, if they don't want to. But those that choose to aren't enjoying their collecting any less because of it. I would suggest they are enjoying it more.

Oh, and on the Fisk, I wouldn't necessarily pass on it just because of the handle material if I otherwise thought it were priced right. It's a beautiful knife. But if I had a choice between it and a damascus / amber stag or a damascus / mammoth Sendero, I woud likely choose one of the latter. And I would expect to pay a bit more.

Roger
 
Starkman1 said:
I'll admit, while at the 2009 Arkansas show I did pass on an outstanding Jerry Lairson small bowie that had a BEAUTIFUL giraffe bone handle with a rose carved into it. If it was ivory, I would have bought it in a heartbeat. I'll admit, I was thinking secondary market, but looking back I wish I would have bought it.
Bob
Click to expand...

I wouldn't look back at that choice with regret. After all, one cure for the should-a-boughts is to have the maker turn one out for you exactly the way you want it. It's been a successful remedy for me on more than one occasion. ;)

In my experience, if there's something about a knife that bugs me at the point of purchase - material, design, whatever it may be - it will likely bug me MORE over time, rather than less.

Roger
 
Kohai999 posted:
In answer to Jose's question, YES, I would not take that Sendero because of the handle material. There are so few opportunities for virtual perfection in life, and having one of the knives that I own be "just so" is what I look for. If this limits me to synthetics, stag, pearl and good stable woods, I can live with that. I know collectors who have knives with nothing but Desert Ironwood on their handles, and there seems to be such a variety of looks, there is nothing boring about those(2 I know of) collections.

Different strokes for different folks, but I do say that the folks who has a whole lot of GB in his collection should totally LOVE his or her knives.
Click to expand...

STeven,

I see nothing wrong with your collecting philosophy but as you say "Different strokes for different folks".

I buy knives that I like and I am more interested in a) the total look of the knife, b) who the maker is and c) the blade itself, including the pattern, if damascus.

I am less concerned with the handle material. As I stated previously my preferred handle material is mammoth or walrus ivory but I have knives with many diferent handle materials and like them all. Unlike very many colectors, I'm not overly fond of stag, but I have many stag knives. Having a knife made with giraffe or cow bone does not bother me at all, as long as I like the look of the individual knife.

I have many Fisk hunters and I would not want all of them to be made of the same materials.

Jim
 
jjtjr said:
I have many Fisk hunters and I would not want all of them to be made of the same materials.

Jim
Click to expand...

Just out of curiousity, Jim.....if you only had three Fisk hunters, would you still want to own the GB handled model?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Steven,

I would say yes. I have 7 Fisk hunters right now.

2- Damascus and Mammoth Ivory, one is an NLT Gamemaster
1- Damascus and Giraffe bone
2- Damascus and Stag
1- Carbon and Desert Ironwood
1- Carbon and Elkhorn JS

My favoriteis the NLT in Mammoth, then the other Mammoth Ivory Sendero. I like the Damascus knives a little better than the Carbon Steel.

I actually prefer the Giraffe knife to the 2 Stag handle knves, mainly because I like the Damascus pattern better.

Jim
 
As I said earlier, IMO the giraffe bone doesn't negatively affect the value of that Sendero at all. Considering the rarity of giraffe bone on a Sendero plus the escutcheon (also rare) I would put that knife equal to a like Sendero with decent stag. There's a lot of Sendero out there as Jerry has been making them for 18 years, so rarity adds in my opinion. There's a collector in Hong Kong who only collects Senderos. Has about 50 of them. By the way Jim, if you want to increase the value a little more (over and above of what it cost) send it to Jerry and let him scratch on it a bit. That baby screams for it in my opinion.

Here's my very first Sendero. It has a cow bone handle. Didn't have any trouble selling it at all.
JERRYFISKEngravedSendero002.jpg


Here's another with a Redwood Burl handle I once owned.
Again, a little rare on a Sendero. It now resides in Hong Kong.
JERRYFISKEngravedRedwoodSendero.jpg
 
Last edited:
Kevin Jones posted:
By the way Jim, if you want to increase the value a little more (over and above of what it cost) send it to Jerry and let him scratch on it a bit. That baby screams for it in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Kevin,

You are probably right. Jerry did a great job engraving that older hunter that I traded to Bob Starkey.

Jim
 
Because he used Giraffe Bone hahahahaha.

I like the look of Giraffe bone. I'm not much of a collector but in general I think it's pretty.
 
Murray White said:
guess I really blew it with this one -- copper and GB and made only by a JS
Click to expand...

Sorta leading with your chin on that one, Murray, it invites a veritable melange of commentary.;)

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Murray,

I think that it is a great looking knife.

Dan Warren JS is a super knifemaker and a nice guy.

Jim Treacy
 
In reference to the popularity or lack thereof of giraffe bone, my humble opinion is that GB is one of a series of materials and methods that come and go and in the large scheme of things boil down to personal preference. Remember years ago when the true test of a knife was that could it be pounded through a bolt? You don’t hear much about that anymore. It'll probably come back in some form. In early America when files and rasps were routinely used as blade stock the pattern was retained as bona fides as to the origin of the blade and not some found piece of scrap. That went away with the belief that the blade wasn’t finished unless it was mirror polished. Now we have not only the file pattern but some leave the hammer forge marks as well. Currently the hamon or temper line is in vogue. Only time will tell if these latest “desirables “will continue or go dormant for a time because they all come back. Right now brass is out of favor but don’t despair it’ll probably make a return.
GB doesn’t have the popular following of the sambar stag or the many burls, horns and micartas that are so popular today. But I believe there are probably two young boys admiring their first knives right now, who, many years after you and I are past the knife making age, will be admiring an old antique saying the following:
“You know they say this knife has a giraffe bone handle.”
“Yeah, its rare stuff and as tuff as some so the stuff they were using back then.”
“Damn, I wonder why they didn’t use more of it?”
Don’t get me wrong, I love it all. I’m not putting any values on any of the above. Just my observation on the cycle of materials and methods that makes our mutual love of knives all the more interesting.

Jr
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top