I would say that I am in the camp of those thinking that stag shouldn't be contoured. Once you lose the bark you have lost what makes stag unique from other handle materials. That's why it is one of my least favorite materials to use. You must have the perfect piece of stag to match the size and style of the blade or it isn't desirable. (You can't use a 1" diameter stag roll or taper with a blade that has a 3/4" wide ricasso and look right.) Also everyone has a different hand and thus has a different idea of what feels comfortable to that hand. So even a great piece of stag to one person could be undesirable to another. That makes it difficult for a maker to construct a stag handled knife with universal appeal without reshaping it which makes it less attractive (IMHO).
This means that not only must the stag be attractive but just the right shape, curvature, color, and diameter to be used effectively which is getting harder & harder to find all the time with today's available supply. For these reasons (& more) I seem to have gone to more forgiving handle materials over the past few years which can be shaped without loss of appeal like ivory or a tasty piece of wood.
This was a bit of a long viewpoint but it answers the original question as best I can.
Gary
