Knife handle material

[Gcckoka]

Hello guys , I arrived at my house in the mountains , have been skiing for two days non stop , now it is time for do bushcraft.
So when I was here the last time I was making a scandi grind knife (my first ever) so I made the blade and it is time for the handle , I went thru my pile of wood and I have this two hardwoods : Beech and Hornbeam.
Which one should I use ?

 

[Mesquite]

Whichever you prefer, both are good woods

 

[Tiley]

Of the two, I would tend towards the hornbeam as it's a tough hard wood; but, as has been said, either would do fine.

 

[Dave Budd]

likewise. Either would be fine, but hornbeam is the tougher (beech can be a bit brittle sometimes). Though Hornbeam does pick up every single dirty mark looking it's direction, certainly during the making of the handle!

 

[Fraxinus]

Another vote for Hornbeam, I made a handle for my smoothing plane from a bit, never oiled it or anything and it has got a patina from hard use over the last 20 odd years, beats beech hands down.

Rob.