OT - Another knife questions - re: handle material pros/cons

[cubrock]

I've been looking hard now at a couple Bark River knives after someone mentioned them in the Randall thread. What are the pros and cons of the various handle materials? I like the looks of stacked leather, but I assume it requires more care than micarta. However, I'm guessing micarta can get pretty slick when wet.

Just weighing my options and look forward to any experience you guys have. Thanks in advance!

[Old Savage]

Micarta actually gets less slick when wet - I was surprised as with this Dozier with black micarta and D2 steel.

[cubrock]

Micarta actually gets less slick when wet - I was surprised as with this Dozier with black micarta and D2 steel.

Really? Wow! I would have never guessed. I love the look of stacked leather, but it sounds like micarta is the most practical. For me, practicality wins with a field knife.

[hornetguy]

by far the "grippiest" material I've ever seen on a knife is the Kraton type rubber handles.. like the ones on the Cold Steel knives.
I read an article by Ross Seyfried talking about field dressing a hippo, hands covered in fat and knee deep in water, with no loss in grip while using a Cold Steel knife.
I've been using mine for about 12-13 years now... I've never had to clean a hippo, but it has been flawless on deer, pigs, and aoudad.

[JoeArizona]

Here's a link to a 'slippery handle' thread on the Bark River section of Knifeforums: http://knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic ... 1/#1390787

Mike Stewart that you see posting on this thread is the maker of the Bark River knives.

Hope this helps...

[Old Savage]

That Cold Steel grip is definitely grippy I will agree. I have the Master Hunter in AUS8 and that is a great knife and great steel.

[rjohns94]

micarta does not seem to slip, though the faux ivory does. I like stag since it gives a bit of texture to the grip. My new skinning blades are stabilized maple - pretty and functional.

[bj94]

There is paper micarta, linen micarta and canvas micarta. For better gripping you can get knives with canvas micarta that is not polished. It doesn't have a real coarse texture but is coarse enough to be grippy.

I don't know about stacked leather when actually in use. The Randall's I've seen have had the leather sanded smooth and finished to almost look like varnish. I've seen older stacked leather knives that had the finish worn off. They were still fairly smooth but I don't know how slippery they might be in use. I've seen some military knives with stacked leather, and the leather had grooves cut in it. These seemed to be VERY grippy.

If there is any question though, the checkered rubber probably can't be beat.

[kimwcook]

I don't know if there is a "perfect" handle material. Micarta, which I like, is a manmade synthetic that is almost impervious to anything you can throw at it other than heat. If polished it can be slick. But sandblast it and it's real grippy.

Textured Sambar Stag is a good natural material.

The rubber stuff used by Cold Steel is really grippy other than it will also wear and eventually lose it's shape.

Everythings a compromise. It depends on what you're willing to give for what you get. I like Micarta for it's durability, but it sure ain't ivory. Natural materials on the other hand are really pretty but require some maintenance and care.

Stacked leather in my opinion is about the least stable material there is. Too much oil and it swells, too little and it shrinks. Not my choice and I don't care who makes it.

[cubrock]

I don't know if there is a "perfect" handle material. Micarta, which I like, is a manmade synthetic that is almost impervious to anything you can throw at it other than heat. If polished it can be slick. But sandblast it and it's real grippy.

Textured Sambar Stag is a good natural material.

The rubber stuff used by Cold Steel is really grippy other than it will also wear and eventually lose it's shape.

Everythings a compromise. It depends on what you're willing to give for what you get. I like Micarta for it's durability, but it sure ain't ivory. Natural materials on the other hand are really pretty but require some maintenance and care.

Stacked leather in my opinion is about the least stable material there is. Too much oil and it swells, too little and it shrinks. Not my choice and I don't care who makes it.

Thanks for addressing stacked leather. I really like how it looks, but I don't want to maintain it in a field knife. I think I'm going to go with micarta. Stag and bone add too much cost for what I want and the green linen micarta looks pretty good.

[Pete44ru]

Get whatever material floats your boat, BUT, be sure the handle(s) are scales, applied to the sides of a full-width tang - the type where you can see the blade, continued as a tang, on both the top & bottom of the handle.

When I first started fooling around with hunting. shooting & knives, I found out to my dismay that a through-bolt type round tang can split a one-piece handle, drilled for it, under heavy use when the blade twists and the grip doesn't because the user's holding it as hard as they can.

And,Yes, I used to split a deer's pelvic bone, when field dressing, with a fist blow to the back of a blade held hard aganst the bone - before the Browning folding saws, etc, were invented.

If it's gonna be a safe queen, than I guess it doesn't matter.

[nemhed]

I looked at the Bark River Knives; I really liked some of their models. Are they made in the U.S.?

[cubrock]

I looked at the Bark River Knives; I really liked some of their models. Are they made in the U.S.?

Yes. In Michigan.

[Idiot]

I've used a variety of knives with different handle materials. I like canvas macarta for durability and cost. If the handle is designed right with a deep fore finger grove or decent guard up front you won't have to worry about slipping onto the blade and getting cut. The ideal is a combination of a good guard and smooth flat choil where you can place your fore finger (middle finger behind the guard and fore finger in front of the guard). This set up is very secure and allows the user full control of the blade. And don't under estimate the need for full control, especially when you have both hands deep in the chest and close to each other.

Some of the rougher materials are a bit more sticky, but they can also become abrasive after long use - like when butchering. I have finally settled on durable plastic grips that require little maintenance, even when wet, designed in a manner that protects my digits and can be found when I lay it down. My all around hunting/skinning/butchering knife is a Cold Steel "Red River" Hunter with the wooden scales replaced with laminated bright orange plastic scales with a deep fore finger groove. This knife stays sharp and comfortable and will fully dress and butcher a doe without sharpening.

Oh, I have a number of leather handled knives too, including the stacked leather variety. They tend to get very slippery when wet and require a bit more maintenance than the man made materials.

[JoeArizona]

I looked at the Bark River Knives; I really liked some of their models. Are they made in the U.S.?

Bark River Knives are made in Michigan.

[padz]

I have a question about knife, It's not hard to be a knife expert? I want to be an expert in knife throwing.