stag handle durability

[chairman moe]

Was curious how durable stag is? I've heard that over time they shrink and crack. Are there special ways to care for them? Is it a good handle material for a hard use field knife (water, cold, heat, split kindling/pounding)? What happens if you manage to really booger up a stag handle...can the folks in the Randall shop replace/fix it?

Just curious, I'm about 3 months out before I receive my model 3/6".

Thanks,

-e-

 

[Colt6731]

I had a Platoon Sergeant about 15yrs ago who had a stag handled #1 and it got pretty chipped up working around the M113s we were using at the time. The handle did'nt break or crack but got really beat up. When I finally got my chance to get a Randall I went for the micarta handled #15.

 

[Wild Bill 1896]

I have a Randall model three with stag. The knife is about forty years old and used and the stag is fine. I have a couple of other knives with stag which are a lot older and the stag is fine. It doesn't look new any more and has few nicks around the edges and some of the high spots are worn but the stag is still solid. If you don't abuse it it holds up about as well as other natural handle materials.
Stag can shrink. I have a nice knife on which the stag has shrunk a bit causing a gap between the stag and spacers. Of all my stag handles from different makers only this one has a shrinking problem.
I wouldn't worry about it happening to yours.