What handle material do you prefer?

[anditsgone]

I bought an EKA Swede 8 with Bubinga wood grips two days ago. This is my first knife with wooden handle material. Al my previous knifes where g10 or plastic/frn/rubber like and aluminium.
I always tended to stay away from wooden grips because i thought they where easily damaged, don't offer a lot of grip and don't have a long life span.


But because my mindset is now more focused on european made products and natural products i ordered the EKA Swede 8. (i really like it btw )

When i first unboxed the knife i hated the feeling it had. It felt like you where holding photo paper. But after one day carrying it in my pocket this has some how worn off. I now really like wooden grips. It doesn't offer as much grip as an agressive g10 scale does. But it is definately not slippery, something i do encounter on aluminium handled knifes. We will see how it survives accidental drops and wear through the years. But if i look at 50 year old buck 110 knifes i think it will do pretty good. Old plastic grips are prone to breaking and showing cracks.
I also like the fact that it is an natural product and not oil based, you can recycle it 100% and you can make your own scales if these some how get damaged.

So my question is, what is your preferred handle material and why?
Wood, micarta, titanium, G10, aluminium, horn, bone, rubber/plastic etc..

How much grip does it offer?
Does it last a life time?
How strong is it?

[Gerber Suspension]

I prefer G10 because it's strong light and grippy. If the Buck Marksman had G10 instead of aluminum it would be the perfect knife.

[WWW]

 I usualy prefer natural materials. If the handle don't feels comfartable just carve it out (Sure you could grind away other materials, but it feels more  natural with wood). But to be honest I don't really have a preference.

  As far as grip goes, I think that good geometry and ergos on the handle are more important to me then gripness. Stating very clear that it is just my opinion.

[Gerhard Gerber]

1. Micarta
2. G10
3. Wood

For looks alone some woods are hard to beat.

[comis]

My personal favourite is matte paper Micarta, it 'feel' warm in hand.  I have a feeling that any non-natural material once polished may probably feel 'slippery', and a matte finish might reduce that chance. 

I like wood too, but it does depend on what kind and whether the maker do a good job with it(for example, whether it is stabilized).  I tend to prefer them on more 'traditional' design, like Finnish Puukko.

My least favourite is carbon fibre, if you have worked with carbon fibre board in the past, you will know how sharp and easy it splinter.

[leathermon]

I think g10 is somewhat plain, yet I find myself keep coming back to it and buying it. I have problems.

[Gerhard Gerber]

My personal favourite is matte paper Micarta, it 'feel' warm in hand.  I have a feeling that any non-natural material once polished may probably feel 'slippery', and a matte finish might reduce that chance. 

(sorry for the de-rail)
Do you make or buy?

I made some paper micarta, no better way to get such clear layers, but it turns out paper is expensive compared to material, and it de-laminated while I was doing rough shaping with a file.

[Steinar]

Canvas micarta for function (not quite as wear resistant as G-10, but not as sand-papery in the hand either), wood for looks (and it feels just so right in the hand). I sometimes opt for synthetic handles when the only wood options are obviously not sustainable. Too many hardwoods are close to extinction. A knife handle isn't much, but it's more than nothing.

A lot of scandi knives have (un-stabilized) birch handles. Soft, not wear resistant, but it doesn't crack (i.e. less than many expensive types of wood), they don't get brittle in low temperatures and the ergonomics are just excellent.

I'm the first to admit I choose knives both with my brain and my heart.

[Teofilo]

G-10 for me. Light and with a great grippy feeling.

[AimlessWanderer]

Heavy duty fixed blades - wood or micarta (with the exception of my stag and brass handled Muela Jabali 17A)

Fixed blades I'd use for food - plastic

SAKs - celidor or nylon (but don't mind others if they keep the T&T

Clipped OHO folders - G10

Traditional slippies - wood, stag or horn

[Smashie]

Fixed blades - Miacarta

SAK's - whatever they come with

Folders - Olive Wood

[anditsgone]

Canvas micarta for function (not quite as wear resistant as G-10, but not as sand-papery in the hand either), wood for looks (and it feels just so right in the hand). I sometimes opt for synthetic handles when the only wood options are obviously not sustainable. Too many hardwoods are close to extinction. A knife handle isn't much, but it's more than nothing.

A lot of scandi knives have (un-stabilized) birch handles. Soft, not wear resistant, but it doesn't crack (i.e. less than many expensive types of wood), they don't get brittle in low temperatures and the ergonomics are just excellent.

I'm the first to admit I choose knives both with my brain and my heart.

I also started to choose my knives with enviorment in mind.
I now prefer wood or other natural handle materials because it comes from nature, is recycleble and i think it had withstood the test of time for the past 100+ years.
I also prefer European or US made knives. I had an cold steel ak 47 but it was made in Taiwan. I am trying to support local manufacturers and try to buy my knives local manufactures like boker, mora and EKA. I am amazed how well made the knives are for a reasonable price.

EKA Swede 8: made in Sweden, bubinga wooden handles, made from Swedish sandvik steel. Came with pouch and lanyard. Quality is amazing and fit and finish is excellent. Ten year warranty. Price 50 Euro

Cold steel mini ak 47: made in Taiwan: g10 plastic handle (cheaper to make), cts xhp steel, only came with an left hand pocket clip, quality is pretty good. But some screws came loose. But they cut costs on DLC coating. They only coated the blade with DLC and coated the other parts with cheap paint. I think they cut costs on those parts because for the price they should have coated them with DLC. Warranty 2 years, price 165 Euro.

I personally think the EKA was a much better deal in my opinion.