What is your favorite handle material and why?

Much of it depends on the type of knife, and what other embellishments can be found on them. I tend to favor natural materials, though. In no particular order, I like:
Woods that are highly figured (burl or otherwise). For example, Box Elder burl, Black Ash burl, and Amboynia. I think wood can complement most types of knives well.
Fossilized bones, teeth, and ivories for the higher end pieces. Can you tell that I like materials that jump out at you?
Giraffe bone is attractive and very easy to work from a maker's standpoint.
Black lip MOP and elephant ivory on occasion, if it fits the motif. For example, on a knife that is already highly embellished, and adding to it may tend towards gaudiness.

Handle material I love to hate includes:*
All the phenolics.
Dymondwood and similar products.
Jigged bone.
Water buffalo horn.
Reconstituted 'whatever'.

Brett

*I reserve the right to my own opinion, and it's not to disparage users/buyers of said material. :)

I also like the figuritive burl woods, and prefer them stabilized. I haven't used a lot of the reconstituted stones, but like the recon turquoise and find that it can add a lot to certain knives, especially if using NS spacers. I Don't like the phenolics either but will use them upon request. I probably use antler and stabilized burl more that anything.

Steve
www.stevescutlery.com

For a dress knife, mother of pearl and the ivories.

For a using knife, micarta or stabilized wood.

Least favorite: stag. Just my own biases.

Ivories and MOPs work for me!

I MAKE HARD USE EVERYDAY CUTTING KNIVES. I BELEIVE MICARTA AND STABILIZED WOODS ARE BEST FOR THESE TYPES OF KNIVES, ALMOST INDISSTRUCTABLE. I ALSO LIKE ELK AND RED STAG FOR A DRESSIER KNIFE.
KEN (WWJD)

I like plain old titanium for folders

micarta for fixed blades

might try giraffe bone soon....like the looks of it

Man when they take the shin bone of a dead cow off of the slaugher house trash heap. Then cut it to size, dry it, then dye it all those ugly red, green, orange, etc.colors.

Then come back and take that heated iron to make black marks in to give it that faux stag look.

Wow, you just can't beat a good piece of Jigged Bone! :lol:

Nothing like putting (literally) a piece of garbage on your nice new custom knife!

Whats next stablized Equine pelvis!

Acutally Les, I belive it will be the shin bone of the Giraffe! It is a horrible site to see those magnificent animals. Who, after having their legs harvested for their precious shin bones, (the lucky few that can afford it) are fitted with prostectic limbs. You never see those Giraffes on the Discovery Channel or on National Geographic. Thousands of Krugerands are paid each year to these organizations in "hush" money. But that is a topic for another thread.

The dealers come over here from South Africa all smiles. Telling customers this handle material is taken from the skeletal remains of Giraffes, who either died of natural causes or were killed by predators.

Of cousre they died, those who can't afford the prostectic device to replace the "harvested" shin bone, are released back to the Savanah. I ask you what chance does a 3 legged Giraffe have in the wild!

So I hope you think long and hard about this before you use Giraffe bone.


Les Robertson
President of "BULL" (Ban the Use of Lifeless Limbs)

Currently, I am accepting donations to provide prostetic devices for these illegally harvested Giraffe's. Sadly, by the time we get to the cows, it is to late to help them. Hey, it's not my fault if Cows taste better than Giraffes.

i like the Synthetics like Carbon Fiber and G-10 for a knife that is really going to be used....Titanium ia another favourite with me.

But for looks I really love wood....any wood just about..I just love the uniqueness of a good piece of wood.

I've never used Ivory or Pearl (except for inlays) so i cant offer an opinion other than they are stunning materials!


Eric

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Whatcha laughing at William -- the three legged giraffes?

I like G10 and micarta, simply because they are tough and take a nice grippy surface and still look good, and cord wraps look nice over blue G10 :)

I also like a nice hardwood, stabilized, and I have tried giraffe bone once and it wasn't too bad :) I like natural materials, but for some uses, it needs to have more grip than a shiny and buffed stabilized handle would give.

CF i dont work cuz I am not the safest grinder and dont want to kill drill bits drilling the stuff.

Dymondwood, well, I have worked it and used to like it, but it is way too soft for me to work now, like buffalo horn. PITA to get pins flush.

Jigged bone isnt too bad, but getting into all the nooks and crannies is a pain.

MOP and other bones r too much for me to afford and work right now. And my knives are users, and i wouldn't want to get a knife back with cracked MOP handles cuz the guy dropped it, so I stick with durable stuff usually.

Les, Loved your post.

I love good stag, unfortunately it looks like we might not see
much more of this material.

Black Lip Pearl is another favorite, large pieces are becoming as rare as Stag. Can't beat this for a gentlemans knife.

Mammoth ivory is great, the fact that so many colors are
available is awesome.

My new favorite might be Sheephorn. I had a few knives with
it this year and they were great. Personally I like it almost as
much as Stag.

Regards,
Win Heger
Preferred Edge

Hey Les good news!

the limited edition investment knife section of the KMG in conjunction with Randall and Chris Reeve knives has established a fund to buy prosthetic limbs for all those poor apprentices who have gotton their arms and legs mangled by their custom maker's CNC lathes and mills.

However, due to an unfortunate error in confusing cm and inches they all came out way to big and they should be perfect for all those 3 legged giraffes.......

:p :lol:

Mammoth and Snakewood is very high on my list...Amboina is close third.

I love Mammoth Ivory even though it can be a pain to work with. I really have an affection for burled wood of most any type and am rapidly growing fond of Giraffe bone, but might have to reconsider my position on it after reading the post by Les :lol:
For hard use knives you just can't beat Micarta.
Just my humble opinion.
Mike