What's your Favorite Handle Material?

[RogerP]

Wood works:

Roger

 

[Hmathews]

Just the right piece of stag does it for me.

but sometimes no handle makes me smile too.

 

[dbl-edge]

As a maker, my favorite handle material to work with on folders is . . . metal. Doesn't warp, shrink, expand, crack, flake, etc. I like making folders with all damascus steel handles, and bronze is nice with a patina. (Bronze picture frame folder with titanium panels for engraving shown.) Second place would go to mother of pearl.

Fixed blades are different. I like a large variety of materials. Clero walnut and koa are probably my favorite to carve, and certainly my favorite to finish. But I like most other harder woods like ironwood, A. blackwood, gabon ebony, and many of the stabilized woods (koa on the fixed blade below). I used to use more elephant ivory, but not as much in the last 15 years or so. I do like mammoth and walrus ivories.

David

 

[Kevin Jones]

OK, I will admit it. I have no problem with Giraffe bone other than the fact that the market for knives with Giraffe bone handles has been damaged by some with prejudices against it.
I quite like the look of tastefully done Giraffe bone handles and it's stable and makes a good handle.

Here's some examples and there are many others out there in my opinion.

Rodrigo Sfreddo Fighter:

Jerry Fisk Sendero:

John White Bowie:

Dave Lisch Hunter: (Dave, please correct me if not GB, believe I remember it is)

Jerry Lairson Fighter:

 

[Marcel54]

In addition to Kevin's pics, here is one other knife (from my "gone but not forgotten" collection) with a GB handle. Not bad hey??

Marcel

 

[Jose Reyes]

My favorites are sheephorn and stag, followed by hardwoods. For pure beauty I like MOP and fossil ivory with nice hues and bark.

 

[SharpByCoop]

I'm going after the lovely girl next door. (White Ivory Micarta)

Often with the right dress on, and some lipstick, you slap yourself in the forehead for looking elsewhere.

But then along comes the naughty, vampy, girl down the street, who's got it ALL...

(All of these are currently mine, BTW. This is walking the walk)

 

[Doug C]

I'll start with some favorite woods and put up some walnut and ivories later.
Ten images per post.

DI.

Jerome Anders.

Chris Moss.

Curly and figured Maple.
Rodrigo Sfreddo.

Daniel Winkler.

Matt Roberts.

That's a Fikes above the curly maple, Shiva Ki.

Cocobolo, Shiva Ki.

Snakewood, Shiva Ki.

Matt Lamey, Koa.

Doug

 

[Doug C]

A Fitch Bowie and fighter in stag.

Fitch mammoth fighter.

Jot Singh Khalsa, Sub-hilt fighter in Walnut.

The Walnut hunter, Don made for me.

Matt Roberts in Walnut.

The JS test Jason Knight Carolina Bowie in Walrus on top.
Pretty sure the bottom one is by Doug Timbs, it's not mine.

Doug

 

[peterinct]

It is tough to pick ONE favorite, as I like ivories, stone, many types of wood, and pearl, but stag is right up there:

Peter

 

[D lisch]

Kevin yes that was G bone and at one time it was my favorite handle material. it is nice to work with and man did I have a stash of it. but like you said and we all know it can be hard to sell a knife with GB to a collector. so I have been burning up my stash putting it on kitchen knives for my friends they love it they do not know it is not cool. and I have not told them .

 

[dbl-edge]

I have no problem with Giraffe bone other than the fact that the market for knives with Giraffe bone handles has been damaged by some with prejudices against it.

Could that have come from the same source that doesn't like mokume gane?

Rodrigo Sfreddo Fighter:

This is one of the nicest knives with giraffe bone I've seen, and it's a fine knife no matter what the handle material is.

David

 

[black mamba]

I'm surprised there hasn't been much love for ram's horn. I love the earth tones and the variations from one piece to another. Here are a couple of Hen & Roosters, made in Spain.

For folders I love amber stag and black-lip pearl.

 

[2knife]

Great photos! Lots of beautiful work. Wish I had a few better photos of sheep horn, my favorite.
David

 

[Kevin Jones]

Rodrigo Sfreddo Fighter:

^

Could that have come from the same source that doesn't like mokume gane?
This is one of the nicest knives with giraffe bone I've seen, and it's a fine knife no matter what the handle material is.

David

I agree David, it's an exceptional knife. It's a bad photo which doesn't even come close to showing the actual beauty of the handle material and damascus. It actually looked more like mammoth than Giraffe as many examples do.
I had the opportunity to purchase this piece when it was new and passed and regretted it. Though Rodrigo's integrals are out of this world, I miss not seeing his more traditional designs of the past.

To your other point, we certainly can't attribute the entire Giraffe bone dilemma to any single person, however with the recent mention of influence it begs the question if there's any responsibility to a community that goes along with one's influence?

For example, suppose a noted Classic Corvette expert with utmost influence in the collectible classic sportscar community made a statement that the 1968 Corvette Stingray was the worst corvette ever made. (shhh, but true ) This would most likely have a serious negative impact on that model's market.

This question may make another interesting thread.

 

[Kevin Casey]

My favorite wood is this stuff. It's Tasmanian Eucalyptus fiddleback burl and has the nicest curl I've come across. Bought a turners block covered in wax years ago. Finally took it off the shelf and opened it up to find this figure. Great stuff for stabilizing too.

 

[black mamba]

Very nice, Kevin. That wood really compliments the feather damascus.

 

[Jon Brand]

Kevin, that wood looks almost like ladder pattern.

 

[scs.knives]

Jade, looks great

 

[xaman]

Stag is probably my favorite aestheticaly, but it needs to "feel" right in hand to win the trip home. Here's a couple I am fortunate enough to own:

Harvey Dean:

Raymond Richard:

Woods can be gorgeous, like this one in buckeye burl from Jerry Hossom (bottom):

I'm with Coop, for beauty AND function, it's hard not to like Ivory Micarta. Here's a few from Jerry Hossom: