Wood Versus Horn, Or Which Is Best For Handles?

Yvsa

Yvsa

Joined
May 18, 1999
Messages
15,395
The original question...
namaarie said:
Hey, guys,

Should I order the horn or wood handles? What are the pros/cons of each? Either one more problematic. Remember I live in Iowa, which means a harsh mix of humidity in summer and bone-dry in winter. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!
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Taken from another thread as I feel the question deserves a thread of it's own since the question is asked so often...
I thought I saw a thread with a similar title very early this morning but guess I was mistaken as I couldn't find it when I came back fully awake, just the reference in the other thread, lack of sleep can play funny tricks on your mind.;)

munk said:
Horn has different handling characteristics. Some say it sticks to their hands better, some say wood does.

munk
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Yup, all comes down to personal preferences, sort of.:p :rolleyes: ;)

Uncle Bill told me when I first started here back in '99 that the horn would be the material of choice if you were in the tropical jungle somewhere in the world as it wouldn't rot like wood and he is exactly right!
However the scabbard would probably fail pretty quick due too its materials and method of construction, But in many parts of the world scabbards or sheaths are dayumed near unknown and the knife/tool/weapon is carried exclusively in the hand or bare in a belt or sash.:eek:

However the problem with horn is that not many of us live in a tropical jungle or even close to it.:rolleyes:

People living near any coast where the humidity is constantly high, or even places like Oklahoma and/or Arkansas, which are considered "Gulf States" according to some sources, have much better luck with the horn than do the people living in drier climates such as desert, like Reno where Uncle Bill resides, or semi-arid areas such as the Eastern part of Oregon and differs places in Eastern Montana and the like which doesn't get much rainfall because of mountain ranges blocking the moisture from coming across.

But with the modern materials we have for preservation wood can stand up just pretty dayumed well to most anything or climate that you want too throw at it.
However wood would be a poor choice for a diving knife as that's an extreme, But horn in this case would be an excellent choice!!!!:rolleyes: :p ;)

I think the horn is a beautiful and very durable material but I prefer it roughed up for a using knife. The reason is that my hands sweat profusely when I'm outside working and the polished horn becomes very slick and insecure for me.
Horn is exactly the same way for me in wet conditions such as a rainy day.
I have never tried too using a waxed horn handle as I just never thought about it, and with horn being the material it is I feel it needs to breathe, but if it was waxed it might do much better.
Everyone using the Hooflex or other Lanolin based material seems too have good luck with the horn. I use the Ballistol on it like I do everything else and have had very good luck with it.

Wood on the other hand IMO is the most versatile material choice that we have available on the khukuris. Even wood that has been severely woodchucked and has a super slick and beautiful finish on it just doesn't get slick and slippery in use as the horn does for me.
However for a strictly using khukuri I prefer a penetrating oil finish and for several reasons....

First of all the more penetrating oil you put on it the deeper it goes until it is protected all the way through.

Second, if the oil finish gets scratched or damaged in almost any way it is easily repairable by rubbing more oil on it. Dings can usually be steamed out with a damp cloth and a hot iron.

Third, wood is a very non slick or slippery material and is easy too hang onto in the most severe conditions.

Fourth, IMO wood is the most beautiful of the two materials as it comes in many shades of color and detail of grain.

Fifth, well oiled wood is almost impervious to wet and rot and once properly treated needs little maintenance other than an occasional treatment with more oil.
Well oiled gunstocks held up very well in the jungle enviroments of WW II.

On a personal note I treated my wood Foxy Folly handle with Ballistol and a little boiled linseed oil, but mostly the Ballistol.
The Ballistol gave the wood a very nice semi-gloss finish that appears not too have a finish on it.
When we get the 17" Foxy Follys in I'm going to do my two the same exact way I did my large one.:D
 
I agree totally with Yvsa on this one. Wood just feels better to me. I've had very good luck with wood, and it doesn't feel as slick in wet conditions. I really like the khuks with the exotic wood. Not only is it pretty, but the wood on many of these blades is remarkably tough. However, horn does have a special spot in my heart when it comes to chiruwa style handles. Blades like the JKM-1 and the AK bowie wear the horn very well. The roughed black horn paired with the smooth well-worn graying steel just looks "right" IMHO. So, as a general rule of thumb for me personally, i go with wood unless it is a more "knifey" blade with a chiruwa handle. Horn is beautiful glossed up, but my khuks never stay that way.

Jake
 
I love wood. I've spent hours and days working with it. But horn is special. There will come a day in my lifetime where horn is hard if not impossible to get.

I live in the dry Eastern Montana and my horn handled khuks do not crack.

I've warned them if they do I will be displeased.

I like both wood and horn.

Looking more for wood recently as I have a lot of horn.

As the younger set says; "It's all good."
munk
 
both are valid choices, and there are some of us here that this doesnt apply to, but for the most part one other thing to consider is if you dont like the handle on your khukuri (has to be severesly reshaped), or it is heavily damaged at some point (and you dont want to end it in), wich material is more likely to replace it?

in most part of the us wood is more easily obtained then sheets of horn (or large quantity of horn in general) and it can be redone as many times as you like with basically a trip to the lumber yard, a chisel, a file, and some sand paper.

just something to consider...
 
On the other thread I mentioned the stabilized woods. Bone is another possibility ( giraffe bone is available among others ). Stacked leather finished off after shaping and final sanding by dipping it in liquid paraffin. Stag if you were smart enough to grab some while it lasted. Ivory spacers can be used for not too much money compred to the value it adds.

It may sound mystical, but to me a hand forged blade has a spirit in it that seems to transfer to you through once living handle material. Plastics, kraton, micarta, and so on seem sterile and just don't transfer the feeling. Some factory knives can absorb a spirit with constant use. My Blackjack leather spacer handled 1-5 second is like that, as is my early Russell Canadian belt knife. Why I have no idea.

IIRC Yvsa doesn't like stabilized wood, maybe because of the harm breathing the dust does. Exotic woods can be the same. Wear mask and have an exhaust fan if you work them.
 
PS: If you were wondering, yes, God did tell me to post the above. But now it's time for my medication!


:eek: :p ;) :D
 
I have not heared about shrunk wood handle but got knife with shrunk horn handle. There was space between horn and buttcap about 1 mm wide. This is one of the reasons I ordered the Gelbu special with wood handle.

The second reason of ordering another one was the blade spine and the edge grind was a bit off axis. the 'V' of the spine had one side bigger than the other and the same with the edge, only in reverse shape. I have no access to belt grinder here so no chance for me to repair this.

Thirdly my friend wanted it for her boyfrend so I gave it away. :D

I have silver mounted AK with engraved horn handle however and I would not give it away for any reason. Its beauty.

cosco
 
Thanks for the new thread, Yvsa.

A recent convert to khuks and non-factory-made knives myself, this is all relatively new to me. I like the looks of both, but think that wood suits me a little better. Thanks for the input!
 
I thought I would add, that if you check out your local library or bookstore, you will find more than a few books dealing specifically with the subject of wood finishing.

I recently checked out a book called Adventures in Wood Finishing by George Frank. I haven't finished reading this yet (just started today), but I would highly recommend it. The author writes in a conversational style, with anecdotes from his work as a wood finisher in the most famous furniture shop in Paris. It is not only educational, but entertaining.

There's sections on how to protect wood, information on various homemade dyes that can be used to enhance the depth and beauty of the wood, different finishing techniques, and some homemade recipies for finishes.
 
You can get buff horn slabs in black, black/white/grey, or the black and white dyed red to look red and black.
 
I think we should rehandle our khuks with the ribs of our enemies. Couple rib chunks would make good Chiruwa AK handle slabs...



munk
 
I grind my enemies into the dust munk...nothing left for handles...
 
Nice thread Yvsa & thanks.

I did sand down my 18" Siru's horn handle- thought I could do something different with it, but now I'm not happy with the way it feels. Have soaked it in olive oil (don't laugh) also break free clp- still it feels dry. It just soaks it up.

How can I restore it to HI "factory" specs?

I do prefer wood, personally, but after reading this, the horn ones may spend more time on the boat.

AA
 
I was wondering, has anyone here tried using a varnish finish on their wood handled khukuris? In the book I checked out, the author says that properly done, this can be a good way to achieve a mirror finish on wood similar to french polishing, with great protective qualities. You have to fill the pores of the wood first, and then, after applying the varnish, you scrub it down with pumice. After the final coat you scrub it with a very fine abrasive known as "rottenstone". I would definitely like to experiment with this technique sometime.

Other interesting finishing techniques were given in the book, such as:
Using a dyed filler, so when you fill the pores of the wood, it creates a contrasting color.
Scorching the wood with a torch, then using a light brush on it to scrub off the char on the soft part of the grain, leaving the hard part of the grain scorched.
 
I never seemed to buy khuks with a preferance for either wood or horn. Over the years though, I find I am more qualified to make horn look good than I am wood. I can polish horn as I do the steel on a khuk and get awesome results! :D Wood takes more patience than I seem to have to aquire the final great finish. When I do finish wood, I tend to go with the boiled linseed oil and Armorall treatment, followed by bowling ally wax as the final sealer. Works great, but takes time. I never seem to have the patience to go the final distance to get those mirror wood finishes that some of these great woodchucks get. I guess I am more of a HornDog then. :rolleyes:
 
Khukuri Monster said:
I was wondering, has anyone here tried using a varnish finish on their wood handled khukuris?
Click to expand...
KM I've used all the techniques you mention on furniture but never on khuk handles.
If you want a Super finish on a handle and don't want to take the time to do the Woodchuck deal with the Tru-Oil and Armor All described by my bro Walosi it can be done a lot quicker with Super Glue.
Finishing around the center ring is a bitch though. The super glue finish works really well on the M-43's and the like with no center ring, but you have to finish the steel with it as well if you don't want a lot of hassle.
I put the Super Glue finish on one of my ndn Flutes and finished it with the pumice and the rottenstone. It looks like it's covered with a layer of very clean and shiny glass.:D :cool: :D

The problem with using varnish or other overlay finishes is that if it gets dinged it's difficult to repair. An oil finish is much easier to repair.
 
Previously I got a Sirupati with a crack horn handle. Some climatic reation took place about two weeks after it's arrival. The crack just turned to a hairline crack and I don't have to apply any glue to it! I guess the horn handle which was cracked due to shrinking when it was in Reno has return back to it's normal unshrink condition when it came back to it's origin of tropical climate :D
 
Yvsa, you mentioned a superglue finish. I've never heard of this before. Would you mind explaining this?
 
I suspect that much of the shrinkage and cracking of horn handles is due to improper or no curing prior to manufacture. This seems to be more of a problem with the horn handles than with the wood handles.
 
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