What are the strengths and weaknesses of the various kinds of handle material?

[Charles Lacour]

I've seen bone, horn, and wood.

What are the performance characteristics of each? I'm thinking of things like how slippery does one get, which ones wear best, which are most likely to chip or shatter, etc?

For instance, my expectation would be that bone would be the best for grippiness, and not getting slick when wet, and horn would be the worst.

Anybody know?

 

[Dobe_1]

I like the horn better for both looks and usage. Horn probably is more fragile. Horn is slicker, which believe it or not is what you want if you use your Khukri a lot for chopping. The shape of the grip will give the friction needed to keep the Khukri in your hand securely. Horn is also porous. This allow it to absorb sweat. Actually, this is beneficial. It keeps moisture away from you and the grip. I find that horn is both visually pleasing and performs well. With that being said, I have about 15-18 Himalayan Import Khukaris. Some are horn, some are wood. Both serve me well.

 

[gurkha berserka]

I have an even mix of both. Wood is easier to take care of and repair only because of the plethora of products available for wood. The horn handles just need some mineral oil every now and then. I know there seems to be a lot of "cracked" horn handles in the DOTD blems. This is mainly due to aunties location. She is in the Nevada desert and keeps the stock in a shed that more than likely isn't climate controlled. The dry air will crack a horn handle and even dry out wood handles. A good coat of mineral oil every 6 months is all that is needed in most climates.