Scales and Handles and Covers

[Bootclad]

Hi Everybody - This is my first post here. I am relativelly new to knife collecting but I've carried a pocket knife all my life and many years ago was quite into knife throwing. Enjoy blades the workmanship and the history, and it just feels right to hold a well made knife.

So - Question. I am a little confused about terms when it comes to describing the material on the outside edges of a pocket knife. To my understanding Scales are the brass spacers or dividers on the inside of a pocket knife (not the liners) but I constantly hear the outside cladding material refered to as Scales. I consider the outside material (made of wood, delrin, bone, cellulose or whatever) are the Handles or Covers.

Does any one have a definate answer?

[gino]

Welcome bootclad.
Different people refer to the handles (bone, wood, delrin etc...) as scales. Both one of the same.

[ea42]

Scales are actually the liners (or linings), and include center, cut and outer (bolster) scales. Covers and handles do refer to the handle material. Somewhere along the line the covers started being referred to as scales, most likely because folks referred to the handles of fixed blade knives as scales (correct) and figured it must be the same for slippies. To simplify it the scales or liners always come in contact with the tang.

Eric