All About Pocket Knives

I messaged a dealer on ebay asking if their knife had bone handles or delrin. Usually you can tell just by looking. But sometimes you’re not positive. One way I can tell is to hold the knife close to my ear and tapping the handle with a small piece of metal. Bone will make a clicking sound, and delrin will make a dull sound.

If you are buying, when in doubt, it's Delrin. If you are selling, when in doubt, it's Bone.

Rookie wrote: ↑Fri Apr 25, 2025 2:32 pm If you are buying, when in doubt, it's Delrin. If you are selling, when in doubt, it's Bone.

I recently saw an eBay knife sale where the seller claimed his delrin knife was exactly like bone which made me wonder how the seller knew his delrin knife wasn't bone.

There is a big difference and that is why people that collect the old knives always pay a big premium for bone over delrin.

Most often if there is a picture that shows the handle material viewed when looking at the liners it is easier to tell because of the consistent lighter color of delrin from end to end at the edges. Unfortunately that picture isn't always available. I find the delrin that Boker used is one of the hardest to tell from bone.

I think it's a Delrin 10 Dot Cheetah that will give you the biggest payoff. Or maybe it's a Muskrat . . .

Nice trick! The tapping method works well, Thanks.

I always look for the Haversian canals. Those are the tiny capillaries in bone where blood and nerves etc are transported. If they’re present, it’s bone. If not, it ain't bone. Often they can be seen without any magnification, but if your eyes are old (like mine) a little magnifier helps. Or just enlarge/magnify the pictures.

Here’s a link to the “sticky” thread on the Bone vs Delrin topic, near the top of the AAPK Tips & Tricks forum. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... hp?t=62145

Ken