Favorite knife handle material?

[HillBill]

Its not a cheap job. You need 3 scales for one handle instead of two, as the tang isn't a full tang, so you need some micarta to go around the tang as well as on both sides of it..to make it useable properly.

I charge £40 for the handle work, plus material costs and p&p.

How much do you reckon it would cost Mark, to rehandle a Fallkniven H1 with micarta, roughly?

 

[Dave]

I see, cheers.

 

[HillBill]

Its quite similar to micarta really, just the resin and fibre are different. G10 uses a glass fibre, as opposed to the likes of linen, canvas and paper. Different resin too.

You can't cut G10 with a bandsaw like you can micarta as the glass fibre is harder than the steel of the blade. It kills the blade in an inch or two.

All the top makers seem to love this G10 stuff.......never handled it.

 

[HillBill]

I don't like Micarta for the same reasons too. Especially white paper micarta. Worst thing in the world

G10 get my vote too and can be very light if you hollow out the inside and textured for Grip etc

if i have to use wood then Stabilized

not keen on Micarta a PITA to finish and still Absorbs at the surface if not oiled and polished

 

[Silverback 1]

Whats the Kraton stuff like which comes on the Fallknivens, dare I ask?

Kraton is an excellent handle material, very grippy, even with wet hands, but no character.

Some of the Falkie's eg, TK2 use a different handle material called Thermorun, which is a lot harder, and even grippier.

The Fallkniven H1 is a superb knife, and much underrated, far better handle than the F1 IMO, they are so good that i bought 2!

Top pic is my H1 drawer queen, bottom pic is the fine TK2 with Thermorun handle, (pic stolen)

 

[Dave]

Cheers Silverback, Ive just bought a standard H1 off a member with the Kraton handle. I'll see how I get on with it, and consider changing it after Ive had a play.

 

[HillBill]

I do like the TK2.

 

[Silverback 1]

I do like the TK2.

I'm a big Fallkniven fan, but there is a big drawback with their designs if you have large sized hands, as they are a bit girly in that department

They could do with a bit more length and girth (but that's another story)

 

[FGYT]

Its quite similar to micarta really, just the resin and fibre are different. G10 uses a glass fibre, as opposed to the likes of linen, canvas and paper. Different resin too.

You can't cut G10 with a bandsaw like you can micarta as the glass fibre is harder than the steel of the blade. It kills the blade in an inch or two.

Yeh i kill a couple of bandsaw blades a year forgetting on 3mm G10 in a rush

Best is a Diamond masonry blade in a 4" angle grinder to ruff out Just dusty

or Waterjet cutter

 

[HillBill]

I use a 1mm slitting disc on my angle grinder, same i use for cutting blanks out. Hot knife through butter. Hardly wears the disc at all.

 

[David LaFerney]

Spalted Narwhal Oosic. Hard to find though.

If that's not available then wood - stablized if needed. Desert ironwood is good and doesn't need stabilizing. I don't think synthetics have any mystical properties whatsoever - may as well just buy a muggle knife at Wal-Mart.

We are talking about talisman knives? Right?

 

[mountainm]

the mystery of the locked thread...

 

[FGYT]

Spalted Narwhal Oosic. Hard to find though.

If that's not available then wood - stablized if needed. Desert ironwood is good and doesn't need stabilizing. I don't think synthetics have any mystical properties whatsoever - may as well just buy a muggle knife at Wal-Mart.

We are talking about talisman knives? Right?

well Synthetics are made for Million year old fossilised Trees as well as a Magic sand you can see thro

 

[SGL70]

Birch root or its more flamboyant cousin: curly birch. Nearly au naturel, just a hint of rapeseed oil.

 

[John Fenna]

Well seasoned Oak is a favorite of mine...

 

[GGTBod]

I've got a soft spot for Zebrano wood

 

[tsitenha]

Fully dried deer antler.

 

[David LaFerney]

well Synthetics are made for Million year old fossilised Trees as well as a Magic sand you can see thro

Good point.

 

[BogdanS]

The natural materials are my favorite, although when the purpose asks the synthetics will be used.

 

[Tiley]

I can only speak from the point of view as a user, rather than a maker, but my favourites, in no particular order, are polished reindeer antler, micarta and elm.