What is the infatuation with bone about?

J S Machine

J S Machine

Well-Known Member
I've made a few knives and I notice that many I see for sale have some sort of bone handle / scales. I see the buffalo horn, stag bone, elk antler, ivory and even mammoth tooth...

Personally I don't really even like the look of this kind of thing, but it really seems to be popular and highly sought after. I'm sure that some of you makers sell a good bit of your knives with this stuff used as materials.

Personally, I have found that I am more of an exotic wood nut. In my eyes a piece of exotic wood looks way better than just a plain piece of ivory. I feel like I'm missing something lol.

I was just wondering why it is so popular.
 
All those materials (except mammoth tooth) speak to me of old world craftsmanship. Many items were hand- made in the 1800's - early 1900's out of these materials (ivory) that are works of art. Just like a kickin piece of walnut reflects old world craftsmanship to me too. Used correctly, they say"classy".

Rudy
 
"Classy" alright and very sturdy. In times of old, the hollow part in a piece of bone was a natural assembly point for a stick tang knife. But it's not just the bone by itself, it's often what is with it. Coloured jig bone still is very popular. It not only provides colouring, but also excellent handle holding characteristics. Frank.
 
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. It seems to be about an even score as to who likes bone and who likes wood and who likes synthetic handle material. Some makers go with what they like and others go with what sells the best.

I personally like antler matched up with a beautiful piece of wood. I like the traditional looks of a well made antler handled knife over all others, although I like all knives and can appreciate all makers work. These bone handled knives represent old time hand craftsmanship and sturdiness. Before metal was discovered bone was even used for the blade of the knife. It all breaks down to ...make what you like or what your customers like.

This is just my opinion. Just have fun making your knives.

Larry
 
I'm new to knife making for the last few years but have admired different styles my entire life. I have made knives out of wood, stag, horn,and micarta.
When I think of a design I suppose a hunter should have a stag handle. Maybe a camp knife a nice ironwood handle and maybe a synthetic handle in the kitchen. I'm not commeted to any one handle material because they all have there unique apperence and can change the look of the same blade done with each material. I preference is stag and a dark wood.
 
Where I live, and sell most of my knives, Deer season is a yearly vacation for many of us, and we love anything to do with a big buck, so that is why deer antler is pretty popular among the hunters here. They either find shed antlers, and want to make a knife handle from it, or they harvest a buck that is to small to have mounted, and want a knife made using the antler, a different kind of trophy mount. I make at least one of these special orders each year. I like doing them, because I make the blade to fit the antler size and shape, usually one of a kind, never exactly repeated. Personaly I like desert ironwood, or bocote, and also G10.
 
I personally like Sambar stag and ivory. The right piece of stag can take a knife right over the top. Walrus ivory is my favorite of all. It screams class. Its kinda like a Black suit not fancy but always classy.
 
I have only made a few knives in the last 20 years using micarta.I prefer to use only natural materials and love woods and horn/stag equally.It's like Kydex to me, plastic has no soul :D..Dave:)
 
I have a pile of wood some horn bone and ivory got lots of micarts/g11 too but wood that is stabilized unless its a type of wood like ironwood or rose wood that rquires no stabilization is my favorite . Too me a nice slab of amboyna or red wood burl with a 100 eyes popping out at you is hard to beat. Rudy sums up the ivory and horn aspect of it real well . kellyw
 
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