Which Scale Material Ages the Best?

D

DEPBID

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Jun 2, 2011
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I've been working my way through the "Old Knives" thread--pages and pages of beauties.

For those of you that have handled very old knives which handle material, in your opinion holds up/ages the best?

After looking through the thread, I think I need more ebony.
 
I think its pure personal taste, but in my opinion( and this is not in order ) Ebony Jigged Bone and Stag, the Stag and Jigged Bone just obtains a more "Amber Glow" to it, making it just spectacular, and yet Ebony takes you straight back to yesteryear!
 
I'm not real fond of stag. Bone ages well. Oh, and not cause stag doesn't age well. Just not a fan.
 
I guess it wouldn't be easy to give an "evidence based" answer to this, so I will keep it to personal taste...
I love the way ebony ages, so that would be my first choice.
But I've seen great things in aged ivory, pearl and horn.

Fausto
:cool:
 
From my experiences Stag, Bone and Wood.

Stag mellows really quickly, but it takes a little bit more time to get that buttery yellow going. I have some Stag GECs that mellowed, but are requiring a few more months for the buttering to start.
I also have some elk stag that started to mellow and yellow after a couple of weeks, it just didn't hold it's original burnt look as long.

Bone lightens in color, I think because the dye has a tendency to run after time, so that has a lot to do with it's change. Bone softens and it looses that sharp jigged bone, but it acquirers a nice pocket pal feel.

Woods, I really am up in the air with. There are too many to choose from and get to know.
I have some jigged bubinga and some jigged cherry wood and they are completely different. I guess it all depends on species of wood and how it's carried.

Good luck on your quest. :thumbup:
 
Ebony. I have some 70+ year old knives in which the steel is pretty discolored/degraded, and yet the ebony looks like it was put on yesterday. It's an amazing material.
 
Ebony for me. Then stag, then jigged bone. Ebony is just flat-out gorgeous to start out with, and develops a rich depth and sheen over time. It's also extremely tough. I love it!
 
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say anything fossilized. Its survived for thousands of years already, I don't think another hundred or so is going to destroy it.


-Xander
 
If we're talking personal preference (which I think we are), then stag, then bone and ebony in a tie.
 
I've seen some old ivory that has lasted more than well.

Stag really changes, look at some old examples and then realize it was much lighter in colour when put on the knife. Oil from hands and blades darkens it considerably, it softens in contour like jigged bone.

Ebony never seems to worsen, only get better!

Whatever the material, it's my suspicion it ages better by being in the pocket and thus being handled than being left in a drawer, I could be wrong of course...
 
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