What are your top 5 favorite handle materials

[mqqn]

Stag and Elk, Ebony, Buffalo Horn and Bone - with Stag being my favorite. Just always loved a nice stag scale.

best

mqqn

 

[Kevin-B]

I chose Ebony, Stag, Buffalo Horn, and bone, but I also like ivory/mammoth ivory

I chose Ebony, Stag, Buffalo Horn, and bone, but I also like ivory/mammoth ivory

I also like ivory but since i can't buy/have it i never handled it.
I am however planning on buying a custom made mammoth bone victorinox, i've also never had mammoth bone so it will be a total surprise.

 

[boy&hisdogs]

Most of my pocket knives are delrin. My knives are users and delrin is simple and tough.

Most of the knives I make are walnut because it's familiar, easy to work, and can be bought locally rather than ordered.

I like the variety of colors and jig patterns of bone.

I like the subtle beauty of Buffalo horn, especially with a lot of white or gold streaks and whisps. I can't quite describe it but I think most of you know what I'm talking about.

 

[Horsewright]

I'm a natural handle material guy. I have a preference for Elk for several reasons. It suits my knives and their cowboyish flavor. Its also very durable and relatively stable for a natural material. One of things I really appreciate about it is its uniqueness. Each and every one is unique, making as many knives as I do I'd go crazy if they were all the same:

Bone is also one of my favorites and for many of the same reasons as elk. I've used bone in many different flavors both smooth and jigged and about every color imaginable. One of my favorites is smooth camel bone. It just always finishes different but cool and that can be said about any bone:

Bison shin bone:

Camel:

Sheephorn/Ramshorn is also a fav and for the same reasons:

A different set:

Cocobolo has always been a favorite too. I love its durability, how it finishes and again its uniqueness. Every piece is just cool.

Mammoth Ivory and tooth. But here in the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia I can no longer play with such:

 

[arizcowboy]

I like soup and sawcut bone, stag, elephant and mammoth ivory, buffalo horn and ebony.

 

[Spencergarden]

Micarta is my favorite, especially varieties with coarser textures. It feels so comfortable in hand and the grain patterns can be very attractive. I'm also a fan of acrylic, delrin, and some woods. I don't like handle materials that are those made of animal products, but most others I'm down with.

 

[Kevin-B]

Micarta is my favorite, especially varieties with coarser textures. It feels so comfortable in hand and the grain patterns can be very attractive. I'm also a fan of acrylic, delrin, and some woods. I don't like handle materials that are those made of animal products, but most others I'm down with.

Why dont you like aminal products in your knifes?
I would rather prefer bone, stag, horn and other kinds of animal material, i think micarta and acrylic and delrin are too modern for a traditional pocket knife.
Some wooden handles i can appreciate but only specific kinds like snakewood is one of my favorites.

 

[BigJim2x]

I like smooth bone and some jigged bone -not crazy for the cougar claw or other such simply grooved bone, that's not jigging to me. For "other" I would say ivory (both elephant and mammoth) and woods like snakewood and boccato. All these are subjective and these are my choices. Your milage may vary.

 

[KAW]

How come Celluloid is not one of the option?
I know there's a greater risk of deterioration, but so long as they remain stored in the proper environment, they should continue to remain stable as they have survived 75+ years to get this point in time.... & ya gotta admit.... most really got some pop & are quite attractive!

’til later….
KAW

"Everlasting Sharp" means…. never having a dull moment.

 

[supratentorial]

Celluloid is an option as "other". Unfortunately, the forum software only provides a limited number of slots in the poll. I would like to have included a bunch of others as well. But I suspect that celluloid wouldn't get many votes as a top 5 because of the break down of the material.

Some of it is quite nice though. In particular, I really like the appearance and feel of "shell" celluloid like the "green shell" on an old NYKCo Hammer Brand stock knife that I owned. Hopefully someone with some smarts will figure out how to recreate "shell" and "candy stripe" celluloid with modern materials that are less likely to break down.

 

[155440]

1. Ram Horn 2. Ebony wood 3. Stag 4. Mammoth ivory 5. Pearl

 

[neal70]

I don't recall all that I picked(I know Ebony, and Micarta were in there), but one I should have chosen as an other, was Rams horn. Strangely, to me anyhow, I don't have any knives with it, currently at least, but I find its infinite variety fascinating and beautiful. Impala would be right up there too, for it's natural ridging, blackness/darkness, and overall feel. All the woods appeal to me, I've worked with all you have listed Jake, and find them pleasurable in feel, and for two, smell, when turning them.(Ebony is odorless/slightly bitter to me, at least Gabon Ebony).
Thanks, Neal

 

[DrPenguin]

2nd cut stag.

Which is odd because I'm not crazy over regular stag. After that bone I suppose. And I've seen some gorgeous wood which can also be very resilient.

Will

 

[22-rimfire]

When stag is good, it's AMAZING. When it's mediocre, it kinda sucks.

Bone is probably my favorite. Jigged or smooth.

I agree which is why bone (jigged) is my dominant handle material on slippies. I have a LionSteel Small Opera in stag that is pretty mediocre. But I still like it. Some stag is stunningly beautiful.

I like the look of acrylic handles, but I seldom buy a knife that has them unless it is very inexpensive. Scratches easily and starts to look beat up quickly from pocket carry.

If I buy multiples of a particular knife, it's usually stag and jigged bone. Two knives lying side by side and both the same price..... I would almost always choose stag first.

 

[Guitarist7.62]

Bone is my favorite by far. I like stag more than some of the other choices out there, but it has to be the right piece of stag. Some stag I just can't stop looking at and others I pass over like a bridge. I did vote other also, because I have really been liking my new to me Ulster Camp Knife(114) that I re handled with jigged hickory. Im not sure where I got the idea to put jigging in wood, but I love it so far!