Wood, bone, or horn.....

not2sharp

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Jun 29, 1999
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Which of these traditional handle materials works best on a large fixed blade. Lets talk about wharpage over time, cracking, and delaminting.

n2s
 
I would think that a stabilized wood handle of a suitable species would be the most durable natural handle material. The stabilization process should help eliminate any real problem with shrinking, expanding or warping. Also, some of the more exotic tropical woods hold up very well and don't seem to be bothered by climate changes.


Kevin
 
I think bone will be the most durable.You have a lot of colors and textures out there.
 
Which ever you choose I am sure it will be beautiful. I personally perfer the different burls out there. I just love the way it looks. There are many type of bones in many different colors to choose from. Get what you like.

Liong
 
But, I am concern that on a knife with an 8+" blade the vibration and shock from the impact (when chopping) could cause this relatively brittle material to crack. The material looks good, but how does it perform on a camp knife?

N2S
 
Howdy There...!
Well, here is my two cents worth. Go find you a pretty piece of Black Walnut Burl, and have it stablized. Shape and sand it down slick as glass and you will have a handle that can take almost anything that you can give it in the field. I also like bone, but you would have to get some thick pieces to keep them from cracking, stablizing would help it also. Good luck and think about the walnut..!

Later "Possum":cool:
 
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