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

[philco]

The vast majority of my knives are handled in bone but that's more about availability and cost than anything. My true loves are Mother Of Pearl and Sambar Stag. I don't have nearly enough of either.
I also have a weakness for an oldie in ebony. Heck I'm a sick man, I love em all.

[Mumbleypeg]

Plus its so hard to find one with nice stag that at least somewhat reasonably matches on both sides - it just bugs me that the knife assemblers don't take any time whatsoever to look in the bucket of stag sides & make an attempt to match - it wouldn't take more than 2 or 3 seconds to take a quick look and at least try to find something close (especially when they see an exceptional gnarly one go in on one side & take no care to match it), they just reach down & slap the first one they grab out of the bucket on the frame, which is why they almost never match. Lackluster stag for the sake of just being stag doesn't interest me...

I seriously doubt that carelessness on the part of the assembler had anything to do with it. It’s a matter of economics (i.e. follow the money). Stag has always been a more expensive, premium material. The economics said “use it all”, so the less desirable pieces were typically used on the pile side. If you find one with nicer stag on both sides it’s likely because the nicer pieces were all that was available - the “rougher” stuff had already been used.

If, as you’ve hypothesized the assembler just grabbed what was available out of the bucket, why do we not see more knives having “uglier” stag on both sides? On the contrary, they have two “buckets”. One with premium pieces cut and drilled to fit the mark side, and one with less desirable (but just as costly) pieces cut and drilled to fit the pile side.

And now, back to your regular scheduled program.

Ken

[1967redrider]

I like the looks of Ebony with a shield and iron bolsters & liners, or even barehead.

[herbva]

Bone, stag, and most recently, I've had a fling with doing a few in desert ironwood.

[Lansky1]

Plus its so hard to find one with nice stag that at least somewhat reasonably matches on both sides - it just bugs me that the knife assemblers don't take any time whatsoever to look in the bucket of stag sides & make an attempt to match - it wouldn't take more than 2 or 3 seconds to take a quick look and at least try to find something close (especially when they see an exceptional gnarly one go in on one side & take no care to match it), they just reach down & slap the first one they grab out of the bucket on the frame, which is why they almost never match. Lackluster stag for the sake of just being stag doesn't interest me...

I seriously doubt that carelessness on the part of the assembler had anything to do with it. It’s a matter of economics (i.e. follow the money). Stag has always been a more expensive, premium material. The economics said “use it all”, so the less desirable pieces were typically used on the pile side. If you find one with nicer stag on both sides it’s likely because the nicer pieces were all that was available - the “rougher” stuff had already been used.

If, as you’ve hypothesized the assembler just grabbed what was available out of the bucket, why do we not see more knives having “uglier” stag on both sides? On the contrary, they have two “buckets”. One with premium pieces cut and drilled to fit the mark side, and one with less desirable (but just as costly) pieces cut and drilled to fit the pile side.

And now, back to your regular scheduled program.

Ken

Ken - that surprises me ... never knew there was a CONSCIOUS decision made to use the prime stag on the shield side and lesser desirable stag on the pile side. That would clearly explain why they practically NEVER match - it's by design that way. Knowing this is an intentional manufacturing practice now pretty much kills the allure of stag for me

[ken98k]

India stag, mother of pearl, abalone or exotic ?

you should have made this a poll

[Mumbleypeg]

John, I’m sorry to hear that. It is what it is, and as you said there are some occasional well matched ones out there. I wouldn’t say it is a conscious decision to put less desirable stag on the pile side as much as it is a conscious decision to not throw it away.

For a major part of the 20th Century, stag was in limited supply. It still is, even more so. If they didn’t use it they’d have thrown all that stag in the trash, made half as many stag knives, and made the price of stag knives 2X what they already are, just for vanity? Remember they were at least up until around 1980 making tools, not safe queens for collectors.

I guess I should say what I tell my grandkids when they turn up their noses at some food I like - “Good. More for me!”

But really, I hope you aren’t serious and can come down off the ledge now.

Ken

[Lansky1]

I guess I get it from a production and business standpoint ... just gets frustrating to see a premo piece of stag on one side & always get disappointed with what inevitably winds up on the other side.

[Quick Steel]

I am invariably drawn to abalone scales. Next would be exceptionally beautiful stag. For using knives I prefer smooth scales, bone or wood.

[petesknives]

I have a fondness for Platypus bills.
Or Giant Squid beaks.

That's just me though

Ken

[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.