What’s your favourite Handle Material?

[WillbertR]

I rather like Textured G10 or Micarta.

 

[Mick Boardman]

Buffed micarta, preferably burlap, but some fine linen is nice too.

 

[jfk1110]

OD green canvas

 

[jbmonkey]

depends on the knife, for me. I like different scale materials for different knives.

 

[tltt]

Natural - Stag by a mile most times. Synthetic? Usually linen micarta.

 

[Terry M.]

Micarta

 

[WedgeAntilles]

Titanium. Micarta.

 

[calm]

For using regularly, I like the feel of Micarta.

For less regular use a nice grainy wood, or stag, or acrylic.

 

[DocJD]

Variety and depends . Everything from wood to GripX . Kraton , FRN /Grivory , G10 , micarta , titanium, carbon fiber etc .

The handle shape, size, surface finish /texture , purpose of the knife , price and other factors, are just as important as materials per se .

This is GripX , my newest type :


Green part is harder (plastic ?) dark parts are rubbery . Great grip , wet or dry . But not rough on skin .

 

[beeinak]

Canvas Micarta for outdoors knives. Nothing prettier than wood though.

 

[RPZIP]

From the practical point of view it depends on the knife, intended use, handle profile. For pure aesthetics polished micarta, stag, wood.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

There is a certain warmth I look for in a good handle.....it's hard to describe?
I need a tactile experience.
I don't like a Lot of Fake Feel.

Wood feels different than many synthetics.
Micarta is a good compromise.

*Interesting choice of photos....This particular handle weighs a ton, and I drop it A lot. Hence all the dings.... I still like it.

 

[edgelion]

Wood. Modern stabilized is fine. With bolsters. Or a guard.
Stacked leather is great, but hard to find on folders.
Micarta
Those are my faves.

Perhaps I'm weird, but I lump other natural materials, composites like FRN and G10, and metals into the same middling group. They're all fine with some machining or whatever to improve grip, or even certain coatings. And I did eventually come around to understanding the fanaticism toward titanium, but I don't feel it. Certainly not for the premium cost. Aluminum is perfectly acceptable, thanks.

I can't stand carbon fiber and will not purchase any more examples that use it.

 

[Unicorn161]

For most harder use knives I like G-10, though it can sometimes be a little too aggressive. Micarta is good too, but is often too smooth for some uses.

And wood. A nice cocobolo or maple. Not as enamored with hickory or walnut though.

 

[ShaiHulud]

High quality G10

 

[Drop bear]

I use knives for food a lot. So I kind of like G10. Because it seems easier to clean.

But I also like the rubber handle on my skrama chopper. Because I think it absorbs a bit of shock.

 

[shootz]

Stag but interframes look cool with MOP, abalone or tiger coral

 

[knarfeng]

ebony for Traditionals.
G10 for modern.

 

[RPZIP]

Love the anchor inlay, bolster and pins on that History Knife & Tool!

 

[Danny Linguini]

That’s a tough one, because I like so many.

For strictly looks, I’d have to say titanium with any number of inlays. The bigger the inlay the better. Of those, heavily grained oak over Ti is probably my favorite, but I also like inlays of pretty much any wood grain, cf, G10, micarta, timascus or nice swirly resin.

For functionality (i.e., comfort and grip), i probably have more smooth/lightly textured G10 than anything else. My favorite knife of all is still the Buck Sprint Ops Pro in blue/black G10. But I must confess I am starting to warm up to micarta, as long as the texture isn’t too coarse. It’s gotta have grip, but not so much that it chews up the pants pockets.