Shields and stag.

J

jackknife

Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
17,738
Okay, maybe it's just me, but I'm having a little problem.

I'm seeing a lot of very very nice stag scales on a lot of custom and high end knives. That's not the problem, I love stag. But when I look at a really nice stag handle on a custom, lots of good knarley bark, popcorns, especially the old German stuff, and there's a nice shiney shield right in the middle of it, it kind of ruins it for me. I mean, there it is, great stag, with a distraction right in the middle of all that great texture.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think really nice stag should be left alone to be just what it is; a great looking handle left unadorned?

I especially feel this way with factory names on the shield. I mean, the name is already stamped on the blade tang, how much more do you need?

Just a stray thought at 3 in the morning when I can't sleep.

Carl.
 
Personally I like a nice shield in the handle. It breaks the overall visual effect of the handle and attracts the eye.
 
I,m with you about the stag, further more Im most fond of handles without shields almost always, I dont like etchings eather. The exeption is mabye the customs with extraordinary shields but.... I think shields looks least good in stag due to the reasons you mentioned + the fact they seldom gets flush with the handle material as stag is so knargly the shield gets sunken or stands proud abowe the surace. I also like micharta without a shield as the material more than any other for me sends the signal of a true user. In bone schields are good and in Ebony preferable.
All my coments builds mostly from looking at pictures here as I dont get to handle much more slipjoints here than my own.

Bosse
 
I love shields, but I can see where you are coming from. I bought a Colonial Barlow from a fellow forumite lately (for dirt cheap) that has the stag that usually comes on customs. Very popcorn-ey and mellowed with age. A shield in the middle of it would just not be right.
 
Does kind of bring to mind the phrase "gilding the lily". I think a smaller, more subtle shield such as the bullocks can work, but a big honking federal shield for instance really does detract from the natural beauty of nice stag.

(Lefties are lucky in this case since when you hold it the shield side is hidden...)
 
I like shields in stag handles, as long as they are well done. If the stag is too "popcorny", or textured in such a way that part of the shield will present an edge that can catch a finger, then it should be left off. If the shield can be inlaid so that it doesn't interrupt the flow of the handle- so that you can't feel either the shield or a sharp edge on the stag where it has been cut away. If you run your thumb over the shield area without feeling any rough edges, then I like it.
 
^Ditto to what Andy said.

I love shields on a traditional pattern, no matter the handle material.
 
I agree with Andy's assessment. If stag is selected properly with a shield in mind, I think there is a correct place for a shield to sit. Some slabs might look better without though. Same goes for Winterbottom Bone.
 
jackknife said:
Is it just me, or does anyone else think really nice stag should be left alone to be just what it is; a great looking handle left unadorned?
Carl.
Click to expand...

Carl,

I am sure many makers are cognizant of this issue when making a knife. Below is a link to a knife I sold on the forum a while back that I knew I did not want a shield breaking up the stag. Of course I had full control over the build of this knife. When a knife is ordered however, most often it will be ordered with a shield.

Ken

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8643996&postcount=1
 
I think shields are ok on some knives like single black back pockets. But when you get into the stockmans with stag then I am going sheildless.
 
I feel strongly both ways! :thumbup:

What I mean is some stag looks great without it and I love the look. Other stag seems to just smooth out right where the shield goes and.... I love the look.

However, I will say that I also love to see the execution of a well inlaid shield in a gnarly piece of stag. Its very difficult to set a shield in the right position and at the right depth in something that uneven.

:( I have ruined more than one piece of beautiful stag trying to make it happen! :eek:
 
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sorry guys, but still, am with the no shield on stag....it's so beautiful as it is, why ruin it? it's not bout company logo or anything....it's just..i dunno how to say this, but...just like Carl said "there it is, great stag, with a distraction right in the middle of all that great texture". :mad::mad::mad:
 
I have stated previously that I dislike shields in general on any handles, except for the very well done examples by custom makers. Most are downright awful, and of course the blasphemy stinks vilest on good stag.
 
On some of their knives, GEC makes no attempt to install a shield on their stag but sends the shield loose in the tube.
 
I'm fine with a shield on a stag handled knife if it is well placed and well done.

On the other hand, I have a few stag handled customs without a shield and I am not troubled by this whatsoever.

So, I guess that I'm fine with it either way as long as the knife itself captures my fancy.
 
Northfield23001-1.jpg
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I like em both ways. I love unbroken stag, but the Backpocket I bought from Kerry has a great looking shield inletted into the stag and I would not change it for anything! Steven
 
I have very mixed feelings on this. On some knives the shield works.

This one by blades&grace is a good example, since Brent nailed it.
IMG_5825.JPG


The forum knives would not look so good to me with a shield.
BFCGroup.jpg


So for me it depends. :D.
 
By way of example, when I purchased this knife from Jerry Halfrich a few years ago at the Blade Show, there was a nearly identical knife with a shield still available next to it on his table.

I liked the stag better on this one and opted to purchase it at the same price despite the lack of a shield. I've never been disappointed in that decision.

orig.jpg


orig.jpg
 
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