Antler handled Knives

[ranger]

I notice from reading this forum that few if any of you tend to favour Antler handled knives and was wondering if there is a particular reason for this. I have a Bison Bushcraft knife with an Antler handle and really like the weight and coolness of touch it gives it. Is Antler less stable than stabilised wood? Is Antler used in knife making stabilised too? Or do you all just not like Antler?

ranger

 

[Gary]

Hi Ranger,

Personally speaking I have no worries with Antler and except for a gladius I have never had an antler handle break or go faulty in any way The only down sides to antler (and the latter it isnt really a down side) is it can be slightly more expensive and its harder to shape the handle to your grip if you so desired.

That said I still prefer wood for the simple reason that it feels right to me.

 

[MartiniDave]

I recently bought a couple of puuko blades from Stuart at the Trading Post (excellent service by the way and good looking blades) with the intention of my step son and me fitting them with antler handles. When we've got them done I'll let you know how we get on using them. The antler was from a bargain bin at a country fair. All told the knives should cost about £30.00 the pair. Sheaths will come from whats now left of my old school satchel - its provided 2 sheaths and 3 axe covers so far, along with misc bits of lanyard!

Dave

 

[dataphage]

I notice from reading this forum that few if any of you tend to favour Antler handled knives and was wondering if there is a particular reason for this. I have a Bison Bushcraft knife with an Antler handle and really like the weight and coolness of touch it gives it. Is Antler less stable than stabilised wood? Is Antler used in knife making stabilised too? Or do you all just not like Antler?

ranger

I think most people find wood less slipery to hold when the handle is wet.

 

[C_Claycomb]

From what I have seem there are several potential problems with antler. The first is longevity, antler does seem to warp about on a lot of knives, it can be prone to drying out if you don't treat it right. That is the only thing I can think of that is a real problem for the buyer. Getting good quality antler without a lot of spongy material in the middle can be hard for a maker, not all types of antler are equal. Antler looks good when it is unground, but often, leaving it unshaped means the handle doesn't fit the hand as well as it might. That just makes it harder on the maker.

If I were to buy an antler handled knife, or one with sheep's horn, I would want to see the actual knife first, it can vary so much that no two pieces are going to be exactly alike.

 

[bushwacker bob]

I have an antler handled knife.the original handle was loose as the leather spacers had dried and shrank over time.The knife has a stick tang. I took it apart and rebuilt it with the same bit of antler and horrible aluminium pommel. I actually prefer it to use than any other knife I own. I dont butcher any animals so it doesent have prolonged use in a wet environment,but its comfortable to use,hardwearing and looks good(IMO)

 

[brucemacdonald]

Hi, this is my first post here.

I own an antler-handled knife and have had no problems with it. I bought it at a craft fair in the late 1980s. The blade is a Brusletto, about 6 inches long. I don't know how far the tang extends into the handle, but the knife is well made and has not shrunk in that time. It is very well textured, slightly curved and comfortable to use.

If I were in the market for a knife now (such as the Alan Wood or the Bison Bushcraft knives) I would look for a shorter blade length.
It attracted some interest when I went to the Wilderness Gathering last year.

Bruce

 

[Dave Barker]

I think most people find wood less slipery to hold when the handle is wet.

I think that this has a lot to do with the way the handle is finished and the sahpe it is given.

I have been making Scandi hidden tangs for a couple of years and would have agreed with you about 18 months ago.

howver, i found that as long as the handles are not waxed or polished they are not slippery,, i tend just to oil the knfe unless I am specifically asked to wax it. if the knife is a user then the wax serves no purpose other than to make it shiney.

If a decent oil is used and the oil treatment is done properly and maintained as it should be a wooden handle is no problem.