KNIFE HANDLE MATERIALS
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:00 pm
KNIFE HANDLE MATERIALS
There is an endless array of knife handle materials. Virtually any solid material can be used to make a knife handle. Types of handle materials are only limited by imagination. But there are some materials that work better than others. Here are some of the most popular knife handle materials:
STAG:
It’s a natural handle material derived from shed deer antlers. It has a unique, rough texture, which lends itself well to knives for both usable and collectable purposes. The most popular type of stag is Sambar Stag from India.
BONE:
It’s a natural handle material usually derived from shin bone of a cow. Bone is often given a surface texture, most commonly in the forms of pick bone, jigged bone or stag bone. Stag bone is bone material that is processed to look like genuine stag. Bone is naturally white in color, but is often dyed many different colors. Bone is one of the most common knife handle materials.
BUFFALO HORN:
It’s a popular handle material made from the shed horn of a buffalo. It is usually dark brown or blonde in color, or a swirled mix of both. It has similar properties as stag.
WOOD:
Wood handles generally provide a good gripping surface. It is a very popular knife handle material. There are many different types of wood that are used as knife handle materials. Some of the most popular include:
Amaranth (Purple Heart)
Blackwood
Ebony
Rosewood
Walnut
STACKED LEATHER:
It’s made from stacked leather washers. Popular on hunting and military fixed blade knives. It is a durable handle material that can be formed and polished. It offers a comfortable gripping surface.
G-10:
It’s a laminate handle material made of epoxy filled with fiberglass. Layers of fiberglass cloth are soaked in resin and are compressed and baked. The resulting material is very hard, lightweight, and strong. A checkered surface texture is added for grip. It is available in limited colors, usually black. It is impervious to temperature change.
MICARTA:
There are two forms of Micarta - Linen and Paper fabric. Linen Micarta is the strongest and most popular. Layers of linen cloths or paper fabric are soaked in a Phoenolic resin. The resulting material is lightweight, strong and visually appealing. Micarta does not normally have a surface texture. It can be either bead blasted or polished.
KRATON:
It’s a soft flexible thermoplastic polymer handle material. It is most often used as an inlay on knife handles. It provides for a better gripping surface. It is also used by itself, as a tang coating handle material.
CORIAN:
It’s a Du-Pont material that is made of natural minerals and high-performance acrylic. It has the smoothness and substance associated with stone and the workability of fine wood. It can be carved, sanded and polished to create a variety of shapes, textures and finishes. It can also be thermoformed or shaped using heat. It comes in many different colors.
TITANIUM:
It’s a nonferrous metal alloy. The most common form of titanium in the knife industry is 6AL/4V, which is made of 6% aluminum, 4% vanadium, and 90% titanium. It is a lightweight, high tensile strength metal alloy with unsurpassed corrosion resistance of all the metals. It can be finished by anodizing or bead blasting. Titanium is used as a handle material, as well as liner and blade material. It is often used for the frame on frame-lock folding knives, due to its high elasticity.
ALUMINUM:
It’s a nonferrous metal. Aluminum is used as a handle material, as well as pommels, guards and bolsters. The most common form of aluminum used in the knife industry is T6-6061, a heat treatable grade. Aluminum can be anodized or coated with Almite, which is similar to anodizing, and tinted to many different colors. Anodizing is an electrolytic action which coats the aluminum with a protective and decorative film.
STAINLESS STEEL:
Stainless steel is used often on kitchen knife handles. It offers durability and strength, but can reduce gripping ability. Due to its relatively heavy weight, it is not often used as a handle material on knives, other than on kitchen knives.
CASEIN:
It’s a relatively new product to the knife industry. It has the appearance of faux ivory. It is actually made protein of dairy products. It is a hard material that has similar sanding and buffing properties as Corian. It is impervious to heat and moisture. It is a high-end product that is quickly gaining in popularity.
SERPENTINE STONE:
It’s a rock material composed primarily of hydrated magnesium silicate that is green, yellow, or brown in color. It is also used in the flooring industry. It gets its name due to the resemblance to the skin of a serpent. It is often confused with marble. It can be difficult to work with, due to its fragility.
TIGER CORAL:
It’s a natural handle material that is real coral from the ocean. It has a distinct pattern that looks similar to tiger stripes. It has a rich tan background that is laced with stripes and dark brown colors. It can be very difficult to work, due to its fragility.
RECONSTITUTED STONE:
A handle material made of a mixture of powdered gemstone and polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic. It is also known as stabilized stone. The reconstituted forms of gemstones are much easier to work with than the raw stones, and are impervious to moisture.
Examples of reconstituted stones include: turquoise, azurite, malachite, chrysocolla, jade, jasper, black onyx, lapis, rhodonite, blue river agate, marine agate, leopard skin agate, amber, amethyst, coral, emerald, hematite, opal, conch shell etc.
TURQUOISE:
It’s a light blue to blue-green mineral made of aluminum and copper. It is prized as a gemstone in its polished blue form. But most turquoise handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with turquoise dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized turquoise. The reconstituted form of turquoise is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
AZURITE:
It’s a soft, deep blue, vitreous copper mineral formed by the weathering of copper ore deposits. It is used as a copper ore and as a gemstone. But most azurite handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with azurite dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized azurite. The reconstituted form of azurite is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture. It is similar to malachite.
MALACHITE:
It’s a soft, green color, vitreous copper mineral formed by the weathering of copper ore deposits. It is used as a copper ore and as a gemstone. But most malachite handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with malachite dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized malachite. The reconstituted form of malachite is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture. It is similar to azurite.
JADE:
It’s a green mineral that is a prized gemstone in its polished green form. But most jade handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with jade dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized jade. The reconstituted form of jade is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
JASPER:
It’s an opaque cryptocrystalline mineral that is a variety of quartz. It may be red, yellow or brown in color. It is a prized gemstone in its polished form. But most jasper handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with jasper dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized jasper. The reconstituted form of jasper is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
BLACK ONYX:
It’s a cryptocrystalline form of quartz. It is black in color and it is a prized gemstone in its polished form. But most onyx handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with onyx dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized onyx. The reconstituted form of onyx is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
LAPIS:
It’s a crystalline mineral that is opaque blue in color. It is usually referred to as blue lapis. It is a prized gemstone in its polished form. But most lapis handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with lapis dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized lapis. The reconstituted form of lapis is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
It's all about how imaginative one can get
Briha
There is an endless array of knife handle materials. Virtually any solid material can be used to make a knife handle. Types of handle materials are only limited by imagination. But there are some materials that work better than others. Here are some of the most popular knife handle materials:
STAG:
It’s a natural handle material derived from shed deer antlers. It has a unique, rough texture, which lends itself well to knives for both usable and collectable purposes. The most popular type of stag is Sambar Stag from India.
BONE:
It’s a natural handle material usually derived from shin bone of a cow. Bone is often given a surface texture, most commonly in the forms of pick bone, jigged bone or stag bone. Stag bone is bone material that is processed to look like genuine stag. Bone is naturally white in color, but is often dyed many different colors. Bone is one of the most common knife handle materials.
BUFFALO HORN:
It’s a popular handle material made from the shed horn of a buffalo. It is usually dark brown or blonde in color, or a swirled mix of both. It has similar properties as stag.
WOOD:
Wood handles generally provide a good gripping surface. It is a very popular knife handle material. There are many different types of wood that are used as knife handle materials. Some of the most popular include:
Amaranth (Purple Heart)
Blackwood
Ebony
Rosewood
Walnut
STACKED LEATHER:
It’s made from stacked leather washers. Popular on hunting and military fixed blade knives. It is a durable handle material that can be formed and polished. It offers a comfortable gripping surface.
G-10:
It’s a laminate handle material made of epoxy filled with fiberglass. Layers of fiberglass cloth are soaked in resin and are compressed and baked. The resulting material is very hard, lightweight, and strong. A checkered surface texture is added for grip. It is available in limited colors, usually black. It is impervious to temperature change.
MICARTA:
There are two forms of Micarta - Linen and Paper fabric. Linen Micarta is the strongest and most popular. Layers of linen cloths or paper fabric are soaked in a Phoenolic resin. The resulting material is lightweight, strong and visually appealing. Micarta does not normally have a surface texture. It can be either bead blasted or polished.
KRATON:
It’s a soft flexible thermoplastic polymer handle material. It is most often used as an inlay on knife handles. It provides for a better gripping surface. It is also used by itself, as a tang coating handle material.
CORIAN:
It’s a Du-Pont material that is made of natural minerals and high-performance acrylic. It has the smoothness and substance associated with stone and the workability of fine wood. It can be carved, sanded and polished to create a variety of shapes, textures and finishes. It can also be thermoformed or shaped using heat. It comes in many different colors.
TITANIUM:
It’s a nonferrous metal alloy. The most common form of titanium in the knife industry is 6AL/4V, which is made of 6% aluminum, 4% vanadium, and 90% titanium. It is a lightweight, high tensile strength metal alloy with unsurpassed corrosion resistance of all the metals. It can be finished by anodizing or bead blasting. Titanium is used as a handle material, as well as liner and blade material. It is often used for the frame on frame-lock folding knives, due to its high elasticity.
ALUMINUM:
It’s a nonferrous metal. Aluminum is used as a handle material, as well as pommels, guards and bolsters. The most common form of aluminum used in the knife industry is T6-6061, a heat treatable grade. Aluminum can be anodized or coated with Almite, which is similar to anodizing, and tinted to many different colors. Anodizing is an electrolytic action which coats the aluminum with a protective and decorative film.
STAINLESS STEEL:
Stainless steel is used often on kitchen knife handles. It offers durability and strength, but can reduce gripping ability. Due to its relatively heavy weight, it is not often used as a handle material on knives, other than on kitchen knives.
CASEIN:
It’s a relatively new product to the knife industry. It has the appearance of faux ivory. It is actually made protein of dairy products. It is a hard material that has similar sanding and buffing properties as Corian. It is impervious to heat and moisture. It is a high-end product that is quickly gaining in popularity.
SERPENTINE STONE:
It’s a rock material composed primarily of hydrated magnesium silicate that is green, yellow, or brown in color. It is also used in the flooring industry. It gets its name due to the resemblance to the skin of a serpent. It is often confused with marble. It can be difficult to work with, due to its fragility.
TIGER CORAL:
It’s a natural handle material that is real coral from the ocean. It has a distinct pattern that looks similar to tiger stripes. It has a rich tan background that is laced with stripes and dark brown colors. It can be very difficult to work, due to its fragility.
RECONSTITUTED STONE:
A handle material made of a mixture of powdered gemstone and polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic. It is also known as stabilized stone. The reconstituted forms of gemstones are much easier to work with than the raw stones, and are impervious to moisture.
Examples of reconstituted stones include: turquoise, azurite, malachite, chrysocolla, jade, jasper, black onyx, lapis, rhodonite, blue river agate, marine agate, leopard skin agate, amber, amethyst, coral, emerald, hematite, opal, conch shell etc.
TURQUOISE:
It’s a light blue to blue-green mineral made of aluminum and copper. It is prized as a gemstone in its polished blue form. But most turquoise handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with turquoise dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized turquoise. The reconstituted form of turquoise is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
AZURITE:
It’s a soft, deep blue, vitreous copper mineral formed by the weathering of copper ore deposits. It is used as a copper ore and as a gemstone. But most azurite handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with azurite dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized azurite. The reconstituted form of azurite is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture. It is similar to malachite.
MALACHITE:
It’s a soft, green color, vitreous copper mineral formed by the weathering of copper ore deposits. It is used as a copper ore and as a gemstone. But most malachite handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with malachite dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized malachite. The reconstituted form of malachite is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture. It is similar to azurite.
JADE:
It’s a green mineral that is a prized gemstone in its polished green form. But most jade handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with jade dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized jade. The reconstituted form of jade is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
JASPER:
It’s an opaque cryptocrystalline mineral that is a variety of quartz. It may be red, yellow or brown in color. It is a prized gemstone in its polished form. But most jasper handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with jasper dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized jasper. The reconstituted form of jasper is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
BLACK ONYX:
It’s a cryptocrystalline form of quartz. It is black in color and it is a prized gemstone in its polished form. But most onyx handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with onyx dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized onyx. The reconstituted form of onyx is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
LAPIS:
It’s a crystalline mineral that is opaque blue in color. It is usually referred to as blue lapis. It is a prized gemstone in its polished form. But most lapis handle materials are actually polyester, polyethylene, or acrylic mixed with lapis dust. It is also known as reconstituted or stabilized lapis. The reconstituted form of lapis is much easier to work with and is impervious to moisture.
It's all about how imaginative one can get
Briha
Dad also made several ebonite ashtrays. But I must mention that ebonite comes in several qualities. The cheaper ones used by electricians are brittle. To make a good knife handle, one has to procure high grade ebonite which comes in blocks and used in industries.
. I am also trying to obtain shed / leopard kill antlers (there's a slum behind my place and a national park behind it.....). Will try one of these on the WIP bowie (the WIP status is slated to continue for quite some time ....).