stag or bone?

J

jack walker

Joined
Apr 8, 2009
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51
stag or bone? which material wears better? does one have a tendency to chip more? which is harder? which one will look the best as it ages? what do you think on this subject?
 
I'd rather have good bone over bad stag. Good stag is hard to come by. Can't say much about which chips more or which is harder, since I tend to carry delrin handled knives for the most part.
 
In terms of wear they're both equal. It is easier to get a good looking bone handle though, the quality of stag on current knives is very hit or miss.
 
I would recomend seeing a stag knife in person before buying it. When buying a stag knife, you are paying extra for asthetics, and as others have said, stag varies a great deal these days.
 
jack walker said:
stag or bone? which material wears better? does one have a tendency to chip more? which is harder? which one will look the best as it ages? what do you think on this subject?
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Since they are pretty much the same material (deer antler is bone AFAIK) I would expect the wear and durability to be similar. Given the generall much higher price of good stag over bone handles (a Case trapper with stag handles typically costs 2-3x as much as the same model with plain bone handles), I would probably not use a stag handle in situations where its going to be exposed to a lot of abuse. IMO these days stag is for collecters knives, or for "dress" or "gentlemen's" knives that are as much for show as go.

Unlike a lot of fans of traditional handle matierals, I actually prefer the looks of bone to that of stag. That said, if I was buying a stag handled knife I would want to handle it in person, or at least see clear photographs of both sides of the actual knife I was buying. Stag varies a lot and generic catalog photos of stag handled knives are worthless for chosing a stag knife, IMO.
 
I agree completely with everything Mike just said. Nevertheless, to my eyes, nothing looks quite as pretty as a nice piece of stag. Yeah, it's expensive, and yeah, the "gnarliness" of the stag can vary enormously, but when you get a good one, it will get noticed.
 
I love stag too. It's worth finding a good example.. Choosing stag or bone is a matter of aesthetics. Durability is about the same in both.
 
I have a very nice bowie with a stag antler handle. Problem is it has shrunk some away from the guard. I don't think bone would do the same thing. I like stag myself, but have noticed on the pumas with stag handles the don't seem to match on each side. I don't like the mismatch look. Beautiful handles when stag matches up.
 
I don't know about the wear factor, but have noticed that stag scales are a lot thicker than bone. I don't know if its because it is weaker or just more time consuming to fit (as you would have to take it down from the back of the scale).
 
Loosearrow said:
I have a very nice bowie with a stag antler handle. Problem is it has shrunk some away from the guard. I don't think bone would do the same thing. I like stag myself, but have noticed on the pumas with stag handles the don't seem to match on each side. I don't like the mismatch look. Beautiful handles when stag matches up.
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This can be an issue with all natural handles, not just stag (and even wood). I intentionally didn't call it a "problem," because it isn't - it's just the way things are. One of the first things you have to get past when dealing with natural handle materials is the expectation that every piece is going to look perfect. It's never gonna happen. To me, this is part of the attraction, but if you want perfect, go for the soul-less man-made junk.
 
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hunterfisher808 said:
I don't know about the wear factor, but have noticed that stag scales are a lot thicker than bone. I don't know if its because it is weaker or just more time consuming to fit (as you would have to take it down from the back of the scale).
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It's a matter of cheapness and lack of skill on the companies part. Cutting stag well takes a bit more time and effort and money (in the cost of lost materials) to do well. Most companies just don't bother.
 
Bone is cheap and easier to cut & polish to a uniform texture. Depending on what part of animal, bone is denser -but this really depends on animal and what bone.

Antler quality vary greatly so you need to spend more time & money to find something 'special'. I believe that good antler material needs to be dried & aged before it should be used ad fittings.

I would choose a good stag over bone any day for my guns or knives. Stag ages better than bone IMHO.
 
jack walker said:
stag or bone? which material wears better? does one have a tendency to chip more? which is harder? which one will look the best as it ages? what do you think on this subject?
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Both will "wear" very good. Bone is somewhat harder that stag & may chip a little easier. Which one will look the best as it ages is really subjective.

These are general answers as there are a lot of variables.

First of all, there are many different kinds of "stag" as there are many different species of deer.

While I don't necessarily consider myself an expert, I have imported Indian Sambar Stag material & have handled hundreds of pieces including cutting it into knife handle scales. Indian Sambar Stag is very tough & handles rough use & impacts pretty well.

Indian Sambar Stag (Cervus unicolor) is considered to be the "premium" material to use for knife scales & handgun grips as it is more dense than the other species & has a more pleasing appearance. The antlers are also larger than most if not all of the other species.

In regards to the cost... Two things contribute to the higher price: 1. there has been an export ban on Sambar Stag from India for several years 2. it is the best "stag" material available due to the previously mentioned reasons.

I know of a man who has used a Stag handled fixed blade knife for about 40 years & it still looks good (he has not "babied" it either).

I have had many knives made from Indian Sambar Stag & before I send the scales in, I sort & match them up for each knife.

IMHO, Indian Sambar Stag is worth the higher cost.

I have attached a pic of a knife that I had made using Indian Sambr Stag.
 
thank you all for the great feedback. i like both materials. if i buy stag i will make sure it is worth the price, and only pick it out in person. thanks to the great feedback. Jack
 
And all along I thought it was what I did when I've had too much beer. . . . :D
 
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