Wood handled knives

davide · Nov 9, 2009

I really enjoy using my wood-handled Opinel 9 and Eka Swede-88. They're both super-light and while they may not be Strider-strong, they can take dings without looking any worse for wear or chipping like other handle materials would. I was wondering if you guys have any other traditional wood handled knives you really like.

To tell you the truth, my favorite part about wood handles is probably their biggest weakness: the fact that they are weather responsive. I live in the North East and the changing blade tension is an early indicator of the seasons changing from humid summer to dry autumn.

davide · Nov 10, 2009

Pictures

EKA Swede 88 in Bubinga (picture from Worldknives.com

Opinels from opinels.co.uk

yobbos1 · Nov 10, 2009

Been wanting one of those EKA's for a long while but they are pricey round these parts. As for Opinels.....

Love them but I know what you mean about being sensitive to the weather.

davide · Nov 10, 2009

yobbos1 said:
Been wanting one of those EKA's for a long while but they are pricey round these parts.

Really? I got mine for about $30. The prices have gone up in the US recently, I'm guessing because of the weakening dollar. But the Swede 88 is still relatively cheap, if three times as much as an opinel.

NirreBosse · Nov 11, 2009

davide said:
Pictures

EKA Swede 88 in Bubinga (picture from Worldknives.com

[

That is realy a good swedish knife. Its light, reasonable strong for a folder and has the right proportions to fit the hand in extended use and please the eye in extended looking. Its possible to get in shrinked curly birch witch is a strong and beautiful material.
I like those screwed together EKAs as the pivot gets strong this way and also can be adjusted.
Wood is realy a nice and warm material for knifehandles. For ex I got a EKA 60wood I use often. Other more exclusive knifes with woodhandles are my Puma prospector, Gerber folding sportsman 1, bouth very nice knifes from the heydays of those companies.
One I use a lot is a EKA 100 that I put some wood on and a scagel nailnick.
(This is kind of the perfect modell to homecustomise.)
Sorry I dont have a camera.

Bosse

davide · Nov 11, 2009

Thanks for the recommendations, Nirre. What's a Scagel nailnick?

Ozy · Nov 11, 2009

This one is dressed in lovely Bocote wood...

99f250 · Nov 11, 2009

The only wood handled knife I own is a Berreta Loveless design drop point with quince wood handle, this is one lovely knife, the top of the blade is convexed ground, the blade is fully hollow ground like a straight razor and mirror polished and the tang is tapered, has to be the sharpest knife out of the box I've ever owned, all for 100.00 bucks with a nice leather sheath, and made in Seki Japan

neeman · Nov 12, 2009

David,
Do you want wooden handled knives?
Or slippies with wooden scales?

NirreBosse · Nov 12, 2009

davide said:
Thanks for the recommendations, Nirre. What's a Scagel nailnick?

Just a in the moment homemade name for a nailnick going through the material.

The long and narrow hole for the nail to grab or good to pinch open as it gives grip on bouth sides of the blade. Good for a southpaw. I also gave it a easyopener growe in the handle beneath the nailnick. Its the most easy to open slipjoint I own even though it has good walk and talk.

Bosse

Will Power · Nov 12, 2009

Have a look at the CASE/Bose Norfolk collab thread, it's got some fine EBONY on view there.

That EKA looks a very workmanlike knife,are there other types of wood available?

NirreBosse · Nov 12, 2009

willgoy said:
That EKA looks a very workmanlike knife,are there other types of wood available?

They come in bubinga, oak and curly birch. I gave one in oak to my brother in law last winter but oak seems to be a bad woodmaterial for knifehandles. Good thing is that its hard and dence but bad thing is that the fibres in the handle never stop rising when the wood gets wet.
The curly birch is of a compressed kind (Companys deskription) and more expensive, (almost dubble the price) but also much nicer. This knifes is light but bulku to carry in the pocket.

Bosse

kamagong · Nov 12, 2009

davide said:
To tell you the truth, my favorite part about wood handles is probably their biggest weakness: the fact that they are weather responsive. I live in the North East and the changing blade tension is an early indicator of the seasons changing from humid summer to dry autumn.

Try putting some Tru-Oil on your wooden handled knives. I did just that with my medium Brown Mule. Not only did it make the handles more water resistant, it also improved the feel and appearance.

davide · Nov 13, 2009

kamagong said:
Try putting some Tru-Oil on your wooden handled knives. I did just that with my medium Brown Mule. Not only did it make the handles more water resistant, it also improved the feel and appearance.

In the summer I wrap my opinel in a mineral oil soaked paper towel for a night. That usually keeps it pretty water resistant for the season.

lambertiana · Nov 13, 2009

If you want wood handles, here are a few:

NirreBosse · Nov 14, 2009

lambertiana said:

I see you having a puma prospector 667. Dont know why I like that simple Jackknife so much but its THE pocketknife for me

Bosse

Gmountain · Nov 14, 2009

Here's my Puma Pocket Friend:

navihawk · Nov 14, 2009

I have been on a wood binge myself.

Queen in cocobola

Ebony CS

ebony Copperlock

Heres an old german ec cutlery that has seen the test of time.

And a Browning in rosewood, which I no longer own.