What handle material do you like the most for COLLECTING pocket knives?

[bladecollectorr]

Not plastic.

I love MOP and well-matched stag the best. I really like sterling or gold pen knives which for me are tied with bone. I expect platypus is nice as well. Don't get stung when catching them!

[Louisville.Boy1947]

For my collection it is 'stag' first choice, then ' mother of pearl'. Bone for my everyday carry.

[knife7knut]

My preference is:ALL of the above!
If it is a vintage pocket knife then I prefer ivory;especially ivory that has a definitive pattern to it.On nearly every vintage pocket knife I have observed with ivory handles,the mark side almost always has a symmetrically grained pattern while the pile side is much plainer. This was a standard for as long as they were being produced.
For a working knife there is nothing like a stag handle for a positive grip.So-called,"popcorn" or gnarly stag looks nice and produces the best grip.Most early knives have well matched slabs side to side although I have a couple of horseman's knives that have handles that are like night and day. Modern stag handles are a crap shoot at best.
Bone handles come in right behind stag and some even in front of it.Worm groove bone is my favorite in this category.
Pearl and abalone and other shell handles are nice looking but fragile and very slippery so they are best left to what I call a,"Sunday" knife.
Likewise wood handles which seem to get very slippery when wet. Celluloid handles;while really beautiful are too unstable.
Synthetic handles like Kraton and similar materials are great for gripping wet or dry but seem to have a tendency to deteriorate with age.I've had a couple that have shed little balls of material similar to a race car tire on a hot day.
JMHO folks;your mileage may vary.

[Tony_Wood]

Stag.
Ivory.
Bone.
Wood.

[dlr110]

As a Collector and Preservationist of knives (ain't that fancy terms) I believe it is my duty to obtain as many different handle styles and materials as my money and luck will allow, oh and also as many as Cheryl knows about. Anyway I do tend to favor the wood handles, in walnut or olive wood.

[knife7knut]

I am glad to see that our tastes in knife handle materials are as varied as that of fast women;fast cars,and smooth sippin' whiskey!

[CHNeal]

Delrin. Black saw cut delrin.