All About Pocket Knives

Been thinking a lot lately about my favorite traditional handle materials (say, pre-WWII), and thought I'd set up a survey to see what others thought. You can mark any three. If there are materials I should have added--just realized I left off celluloid and leather, for instance--please make a note to remind me.

Thanks,
Jim

Micarta seems to do pretty well also.

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Mike

You left out one of the most common fixed blade handle materials through the years - Leather washers.

XX Case XX wrote:Micarta seems to do pretty well also.

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Mike

I'll Second Micarta! G10 Ain't Bad either

I voted for domestic wood, though I have nothing against ebony or rosewood. For a real working fixed blade, I prefer not to have a pommel, and I think stag and bone are a just too prone to break if dropped. Maybe I should mention here that I am a bit prone to dropping things, especially breakable things.

MITCH RAPP wrote:

XX Case XX wrote:Micarta seems to do pretty well also.

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Mike

I'll Second Micarta! G10 Ain't Bad either

Micarta is a brand name for composites of linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass, carbon fiber or other fabric in a thermosetting plastic.. G10 is a grade of Micarta.

That was my first thought too Jerry......leather washers.

I voted for wood. I love wood.

I voted wood too, as most all the working fixed blades I use have wooden handles, Case butcher knife, a Case carving knife, a Case cleaver, Russell and Rapala filet knives. And then there are a couple of Old Hickory paring knives with wooden handles, what's not to like about wood?
Treefarmer

number one with me is sambar stag, but when making a good hard using knife, you can't beat micarta. I have also used some weird stuff , like dyed whale bone, giraffe bone, and mammoth ivory and even horn core from African antelope. Terry

I like a stacked leather/stag mix.

Another Knife Collector wrote:I like a stacked leather/stag mix.

Isn't that classy?

Check out this little Northwoods Button Hole.

One that you left out Jim is Delrin.
Very common and virtually indestructible! It works great on a working knife, just like micarta.

Thinking my next is gonna be C-Tek.. Most of my users are micarta or bone... John

Hard to beat a wood handle but for long term user resilience of a 'working' knife I have/would choose Canvas Micarta.
Great Poll!

Stacked Leather. Most comfortable and surest grip there is.

I like every one of the choices, as long as the knife so hafted is beautiful. As Captain Call said, "I can't tolerate poor behavior in a man," and I can't tolerate ugliness in a knife (which is subjective, I know). Some of the choices tend to be a little slippery in wet conditions, and some can be a little cold in freezing weather, so that is not the best. Otherwise...

For the third choice I like stacked leather

For my first choice I would go with stag slabs with finger grooves ground into the bottom. Hard to beat for a non-slip grip when wet or dry;plus they are not as fragile as a one piece round handle. I think finger grooves are essential in any knife for a secure grip.
Leather washers will provide a good grip but getting them repeatedly wet with whatever usually causes them to expand and then shrink causing them to loosen. Finger grooves also tend to make them a bit unstable.
My second choice would be grooved wood although it should be un-stabilized as the resin impregnated wood tends to be very slippery when wet.It also deteriorates when repeatedly wet and then dried.
My third choice would be a linen Micarta but it would have to be deeply checkered to provide a decent grip.
As noted my choices have to perform properly when wet as the worst combination in the world is a razor sharp knife and a wet slippery grip.

Stacked leather is my favorite, by far, for a user. Great grip, wet or dry but especially when wet. Leather looks good too IMHO, but for looks I'll take sambar stag.

Ken

I love the look of a nice piece of stag, but it takes a special piece of stag to be just right - some pieces can be just wrong too. For a sheer working knife it is hard to beat the black phenolic composition handle as used in the Buck 100 series. Wood also makes a great working handle. OH

Some folk have lightly sanded the black phenolic handles of Buck knives for a better grip, although it doesn't do much for appearance. Desert Ironwood does not need to be stabilized, as do many other nice woods. I like both full tang (exposed) knives and hidden tang knives, but, as mentioned earlier, hidden tang knives with bone or stag handles can be more vulnerable to breakage.
I am waiting on this one.

Too many knives. Not enough dough. That's a beauty Cal.

I think exotic woods are my favorite in making knife scales,
There are so many different types of woods to choose from to design what you think is best for that particular knife.
I just finished a Japanese Shoto knife using African Blackwood.

Camillus

That is a beauty! And it looks like a real cutter!

[quote="Camillus"]I think exotic woods are my favorite in making knife scales,
There are so many different types of woods to choose from to design what you think is best for that particular knife.
I just finished a Japanese Shoto knife using African Blackwood.
Here are two of them now.

Camillus[/quote]