Scientists keep designing better and better materials for knife handles. We divide handle materials into two main categories: natural and synthetic. This type of knife handle is also quite simple to construct, and will last a lifetime. G10 Handle Kiritsuke Gyuto 197 mm Hammered Finish. Metals: metals are widespread in the knife handle industry. Yep, paracord was originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes. For the most part, the many materials can be classified into one of two categories: natural or synthetic. Other coatings: in some cases, the handles may be lined with a thin layer of another material, such as titanium or a ceramic. On any of our handle materials, just add some handle epoxy, fasteners, screws, or whatever you need, to turn any of our knife handle materials into a perfect knife handle replacement kit. It might help if youre clumsy, and just add a little extra safety to the knife. G10 is lightweight with an easily textured surface for enhanced gripping feedback. Given the unique nature of pine cones, no two patterns are exactly alike. The most popular TPE is. Many knife enthusiasts find that the rough texture of the knife also contributes a good grip to the handle. Being non porous, G10 knife handles do brilliantly in wet conditions and cost a lot less than pricey knife handle materials like carbon fiber. Ultem is the new kid on the block and it's an awesome option for a handle material. Carbon fiber is epoxy resin containing thin strands of carbon. Guide to Knife Handle Materials: Natural, Synthetic, and Hybrids, 2023 Jantz Supply. Though I've rarely used nylon for knife handle materials, I have used it in stands and displays as a strong, neutral component. The needs of the cook concerned, and the purpose of the knife involved should marry neatly with how the knife handle is contoured and designed. All Rights Reserved. With a multitude of patterns and colors available, its a spectacular material often offered as accent or collar pieces on premium knife handles. The most popular TPE is Zytel, a product of DuPont, which is resistant to impact, abrasions, and breakage. Pakkawood, like other composite wood materials, can be texturized for better grip and this makes for a knife handle thats comfortable to hold and maneuver a blade with. Personally, I prefer having a finger guard as I feel much safer with it (I can be quite clumsy sometimes). Add to Favorites Handmade bushcraft hunting camping knife 95mm, M390 stainless steel ad . Bone is a very historical handle material. How To Design Knife Handles | Considerations & Process This is a synthetic replacement for rubber, made by Kraton. Knife Handle Materials for Sale | SMKW Generally, you dont want to have a softwood under any humid conditions. Natural Wood are extremely durable and lightweight. Ive seen a lot of 410, 416 and 420 handle steels in product descriptions, so these are probably the most common ones out there. This one is with a twist the scrimshaw or other art is cast right into the handle - many choices of art works are available. What better knife handle material selection advice than, "Buy the knife handle material that you like best!" As you can see in the images below, a full tang knife could just as well be used without a handle, and has a much more substantial profile than a partial-tang blade. However, it gives a knife a unique look that no other material will. It is also an expensive wood and is typically used when the knife maker wants a naturally dark handle. Carbon fiber knife handles are lightweight, and easy to manipulate with an impressive strength to weight ratio. Four layers of premium enamel offer lifelong durability. Versatile, durable, and dishwasher-friendly. Example of knives with FRN/Zytel handles: Its weird, but Im actually seeing more and more brands selling knives with Paracord handles. These are reinforced with resins to make the handle more durable, waterproof and strong. Scales come in many different materials and are what we are actually referring to when discussing knife handle material (the parts aside from the scale are usually the same material as the blade). As compared to all other natural materials, wood offers the most variety. For this your customer can use food grade mineral oil or Boiled Linseed oil, which is much faster drying than regular Linseed oil. Springbok, Blesbok, Kudu and Merino Rams Horn, make distinctive knife handles. Write your review $34.00 Add to Cart G10 Glass Epoxy - Layered - Black & Blue Thus, its best marketed to a client that is willing to spend more on their knife collection. More Buying Choices $12.99 (2 new offers) +13 colors/patterns Proper treatment of your handles with oils such as, If you want a handle that offers the natural look of wood but is a bit more resistant to the elements, you may consider one made of. Natural materials have been used for thousands of years in knife making. Do you have a knife that could use a new, custom handle? Advanced knifemakers tend to work with the natural shape of the horn and bone to keep the materials natural shape as part of the knife design. While theres a lot to be said about blades, its important that you also consider the handle half of the knife. A knife and its handle (dependent on the material) will require particular and specific levels of maintenance. Otherwise metals are durable and will continue to make good knife handles. Ebony wood Ebony Wa Handle Yanagiba 300 mm Ebony wood is super handsome with dark, gothic shades that ooze shine. The outstanding qualities make it a choice material for tactical and fixed- blade knives. Looking forward to hearing from you! Theyre often used in kitchen knife handles, as they can be easily molded into a wide assortment of shapes and colors. Water Buffalo Horn Knife Scales - R M EXPORTS | Horn Knife Handles In this article were looking at different handle materials and suggesting some industry favorites. Youll find these or similar variants in 99% of knives! There are hundreds of different woods of different hardness, colors and textures that you can choose from. This is wood that has been injected with polymer resin and treated under high pressure to make it denser and more durable. Knives are one of the most useful kitchen tools, and every part of them from blade tip to handle guard works together to provide the perfect cuts and slices. Example of knives with Aluminium handles: Stainless steel is a very common element for both knife blades and handles. Spyderco Knife Handle Materials - Gunivore It may seem obvious, but it bears stating the size of the knife handle should be suited to the customers hand size. A good knife, with a good handle, often comes with a good tang. G10 handles can also be easily carved, peened or engraved to provide a more textured grip. Polypropylene and ABS are two polymers with a high-strength and lightweight construction. Carbon fiber can be stronger than steel, and is lighter than Micarta and G-10. Some types of wood, especially if theyre very soft or porous, require a stabilization process for increased density and durability before they can be used on a knife handle. . Natural Knife Handle Material - Etsy However, it is not really the best for hardcore use. Show items: 12 24 36 Sort By Knafs Lander Scales Black G-10 $28.99 Add to Cart MKM Malga 6 Orange G10 Scales $34.99 Add to Cart MKM Malga 6 Natural G10 Scales (5) $34.99 Add to Cart MKM Malga 6 Blue G10 Replacement Scales $34.99 Add to Cart A traditional material with a vintage look. Plus, since handles made of wood or other natural materials can warp if not cared for correctly, a good knife with a high-density, temperature-resistant TPE handle can make maintenance much easier. Rosewoods are also dense and strong without being heavy or cumbersome. And don't worry, animals weren't harmed in the manufacturing of these handles. The classic, nearly nonstick material that heats evenly and stays hot. You can have a very tough, waterproof, durable handle material, but if theres no way to hold it properly, it wont really be of any use. Lets first look at some natural handle materials. Best Knife Handle Material [The Ultimate Guide to Knife Handle Materials] G-10 is made of fiberglass and can be brittle, and thus doesnt resist impact well. If you want to be sure you are getting the original ask about the manufacturer. There are actually three main handle finishes, from what Ive found: bead-blasting, anodizing and other coatings. With antibacterial properties and a natural resistance to moisture, ebony handles are both long lasting and tough in the kitchen. Polyoxymethylene is another type of plastic that is slightly pricier, but protects against discoloration or color fade. Given the unique nature of pine cones, no two patterns are exactly alike. A gorgeous knife is something to behold, but form MUST meet function. Most horn is considered an advanced material to work as it can be difficult to shape. A little wood oil and/or Renaissance wax, etc. However, it also looks and feels quite cheap and plastic-like. TPE is basically rubberized plastic, combining the benefits of both rubber (grip, texture, and elasticity) and plastic (high strength, lightweight, and available in a variety of colors). Each piece is an original work of art no two pieces are the same.Color and pattern may vary from . Learn about each material and decide which one best suits your needs and personal preferences. Plastic is perhaps the most common synthetic knife handle material, thanks to its ready availability, affordability, and easy maintenance. Quite heavy and cumbersome, especially for EDC. The essential food prep tools for ensuring cooking success. a plastic handle with rubber grip), are relatively affordable, and come in a variety of colors, a good feature to help identify specific knives and prevent cross-contamination. Synthetics are micarta, kraton, carbon fiber, and G- 10. Kitchen tools to make your life easier you'll wonder what you ever did without them. Stabilized wood in particular offers great knife handle performance and is so customizable that no customer need be disappointed in achieving the aesthetic that they desire. Knife Handle Design - Knife Handle Ideas 2022 - Makers Legacy Ultem has a distinctive honey-amber color, and when you put it in direct light, it almost seems to glow. If you have any comments or suggestions, let us know in the section below. Some of the latest and coolest knife handle making products are really moving the knife making industry into the future. The layers of rubber also make SureTouch G10 an excellent choice for a handle with good grip. This is called a handle guard and its designed to give a better grip and prevent the knife from slipping. Handles & Fittings - Artisan Supplies Knife retailers should understand the importance of a well-formed knife handle and the many different materials that a knife handle could be made of. Items 1 - 18 of 79 Show per page Sort By GFlex Epoxy Kit - 8oz. Their grip is safe and comfortable, though it can vary depending on the wood used. Carbon fiber is really not the least expensive. When wood is stabilized it becomes stronger and has more impact resistance, this builds the overall strength of the knife. Looks great when polished with Luxor compounds. , which is actually the part of the blade that extends into the handle. *** This item is made for LEFT-handed persons. I'm an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys camping and hiking. This is important if you intend on using your knife often and for hardcore bushcraft. Titanium blades and handles are non-ferrous (they dont contain iron), which means they wont rust (since rust is caused by the oxidation or iron). 9 Popular Knife Handle Materials: For Every Day Use G10 is a fiberglass based laminate. Just for starters, we hand pick all of our knife making handle materials at KnifeKits.com. Wow. . It coats the inner shells of these creatures, and over time layers of the material can form a pearl. Like the Sebenza 21, the Inkosi comes in both a large and small size and is available in a variety of inlays. Knife handles, on the other hand, don't get as much attention. Those on a smaller budget may considerfabricated mother of pearl handles, which offer the beauty of genuine mother of pearl at a much lower price. Hybrids are laminates and stabilized wood. Check out our natural knife handle material selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Eco-products Plantware Renewable And Compostable Knife - 7 Inch - Case One of the cheapest options on the market. This also means that you have to choose wisely from these hundreds of options. Like bone, stag is not the best for hardcore use. But when you think of all the time you spend actually holding a knife (for most home cooks, thats every time youre in the kitchen), the handle becomes an increasingly important feature. This means that the knife handle looks new for much longer. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. How far the blade extends depends on whether its a full tang or partial tang a full tang runs the entire length of the knife and handle, while partial tang only runs through a portion of the handle. This is the bottom or terminal end of the knifes handle, and can be rounded, straight, or angular. *** The reasonable Plastic Tsuba Handle version are offered for beginner rank customers at more reasonable price. Carbon fiber is a strong, durable polymer also known as graphite fiber. Can get very slippery without adequate handle design. Ideally, the customer should be offered a range of knife handle sizes so that they can choose a handle thatll fit their hand comfortably. I hope this was helpful and that you found what you were looking for. This means that the knife handle ergonomics can be tweaked to get the best product. Natural, Fossil and Alternative Ivory and Bone what's the attraction with ebony? | BladeForums.com Leather handles are generally quite cheap. G-10 is a popular handle material, known to be a fiberglass composite laminate. However, be aware that titanium is not indestructible, and can suffer from scratching much more than stainless steel. Proper treatment of your handles with oils such asLinspeed Oil can protect your wood from damage. The wood that is commonly used in composites is referred to as burl, which indicates that the wood comes from a tree with a round knotted growth. Knife Handle Material - Etsy Starting from the back of the knife, the end opposite the blade tip, youll find the handle butt. The material is not durable, and is very slippery. Perhaps the greatest benefits of plastic are that they can be easily shaped and combined with other materials (i.e. Thats not all rosewood has to offer though! comfortable Non-slip Grip The textured-rubber handle features an ergonomic comfort design and made of slip-resistant, super polymer material . Carbon fiber is a reinforced polymer that contains tightly woven strands of carbon set in resin (hence, carbon fiber). The grain/tactile texture of teak gives a grippy surface that offers high confidence when doing slippery tasks like skinning chicken breast. Both materials are durable, water-resistant, and comfortable to use, but G-10 costs less and is less susceptible to environmental factors. I'm in no way an expert on survival knives, but I want to share what I learn everyday from experience and by doing research. The right knife handle can transform an unwieldly, unattractive, and unsafe kitchen knife into an object of beauty, performing like a master and giving its user pleasure to hold. Natural materials are wood, bone, pear, and abalone. Free shipping for many products! 19932023 LeeKnives. Other ones include Grivory, also a common trademark, and Grilon. Natural materials -- like wood, bone, horn and antler -- are beautiful, traditional and time-tested as knife handles. Wood handles are durable and typically not too expensive, either. Its just about figuring out what is going to be a better tool for you. Knife Handle Materials | mgmknives Other traditional horn material includesdeer horn andbuffalo horn which also make distinctive knife handles for outdoor enthusiasts. Bones from animals are a popular knife handle material because they provide a traditional yet eye-catching look. A full tang knife relies in its structure and strength on a solid, continuous piece of metal. Handle Materials G10, Micarta, Carbon Fiber - Alpha Knife Supply All one-of-a-kind knife handle materials that we sell are all individually photographed and presented on this website. Raffir Hotspring is made from natural mineral deposit formations collected from natural hot springs. A metal handles smooth surface can make it prone to slipping, especially when wielded by a wet hand. This is a great resource for those choosing their first knife or enthusiasts who want to try a new type of handle. Bone is typically used from animals that died naturally. G-10 is also a resin-based laminate that uses fiberglass instead. Use of G10 Material for Knife Handles - KnifeArt Knife handles come in many different materials. Like Titanium, it is also non-ferrous, which means it is resistant to corrosion. If you want a regal knife that really stands out from the crowd, try a mother of pearl handle. But in my opinion, G-10 handle tend to be less visually attractive than others. However, unless the handle has a hollow core, a completely stainless steel knife might be too heavy for the average cook. We recommend this natural Buffalo Horn handle material for its durability and good looks. Joined Dec 23, 2008 Messages 566. It is now being brought back into the knife industry to create fancy custom designs. While relatively strong, carbon fiber is not indestructible and may be prone to chips and cracks in cases of high impact. multi-functional Fish Fillet Knife stainless curved blades have the perfect flexibility,And the knife will follow natural contours for perfect fillets. Whether youre making a fully custom piece or. Most metal knife handles are actually not pure metals, but alloys. Far from being purely cosmetic, these materials each have their own unique qualities, as well as pros and cons that can affect how the knife performs when used. Knife Handle Scales : Manufacturer and Exporter of Knife Scales in India Knife Handle Scales Showing 1-25 of 239 results Horn Miscellaneous Products (5) Cattle Bone Knife Scales (121) Water Buffalo Horn Knife Scales (19) Acrylic Resin Knife Scales & Blocks (70) Ram's Horn Knife Scales (2) Exotic Wood Knife Scales (15) Hybrid Wood Knife Scales (7) One of the strongest materials in the industry. Handmade From Argentina - Deer Antler & Hardwood Handled Cuchillo But just be aware that while it is corrosion resistant, it is not corrosion-proof, and will rust if you dont take care of it. Most of these have been used for hundreds of years, and played an important role in the knife-making history. But what exactly are all of these, and which ones are the best? With the appropriate base material and skilled ergonomics that fit the hand, knife handles have come a long way in recent decades. G-10 Vs. Micarta Knife Handle Material: Which One is Better? ***The Kasumi blade by Sakai Takayuki is a reasonably priced line of traditional forged knives which work well for first time users as well as more experienced chefs.It is made to put soft kitchen knife iron on Yasuki's traditional . This guide offers beginners and experts a detailed overview of several popular. Need a quote for a sales venture? These materials are either designed to have an increased grip, or a better durability, or a lighter weight, or many things at once. The Knife Hub is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. [Guide], Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). You can findtextured G10 scales with honeycomb, diamond, and other patterns. This diversity offers every customer a look theyll love in their kitchen. The evolution of the knife goes parallel to the development and evolution of the handle. For your home cook, a more elegantly shaped and crafted handle could be appropriate because the knife is not used as heavily or as often. Most horn is considered an advanced material to work as it can be difficult to shape. So I tried to help you a bit Here is a guide to choosing the best blade material for your knife. As a composite of mans and natures best, it has a lot to offer for kitchen knife handles. But just remember that 2 to 3 meters of cordage arent always what are going to save your life, and Id personally rather go for a sturdy, comfortable handle for a knife I will be using a lot. Jantz Supply offers a large selection ofmaterials for making knife handles, including many of the natural and synthetic options mentioned in this guide. What makes the success of wood is also its attractive look. The plastic is created by soaking layers of linen or paper in phenolic resin, and then compressing them using high heat. Finishes are the last stage of the manufacturing process. Most stainless steel-handles knives have smooth handles, which makes the knife get very slippery when wet. G-10 handles are usually textured to give the hand a good grip (once again, grip is a key aspect!). Kraton material is elastic at its core, and it provides the kind of flexibility and abilities of natural rubber, but - unlike regular rubber - it has resistance to heat, cold, and chemicals, making it a perfect handle for many kinds of knives. Exotic Knife Handle Materials | makesg Like its fellow synthetics,micarta and phenolic knife handles are extremely durable and lightweight. Over the years, I've learned quite a lot about the outdoors and the gear I needed. The most common ones are African blackwood, desert ironwood, rosewood, cocobolo, and walnut these are types of wood that are both solid and stable (they don't expand or contract in extreme temperatures). Free shipping. Handle Material - Etsy It's rough and tough but also nice to look at. If you are new to knife making, consider your equipment carefully before choosing a new handle material for your next knife making project. Mother-of-pearls knives are generally quite expensive (makes sense to me). Lets look at some things that need to be considered when choosing a knife handle: If youre ticking these boxes, you can be confident that the buyer will receive a knife product that will give them decades of pleasurable use! As a premium material, ebony wood offers a fine grain that gives a mirror polish effect without trapping food particles. Some common synthetic knife handle materials include pakkawood; carbon fiber; steels and resins. Knives typically have three rivets, which can be visible or hidden, depending on the design. Knives, particularly wood handled knives, shouldnt be washed in the dishwasher, and need to be dried thoroughly after washing. These woods are recognizable for their strength, hardness, attractive natural appearance, and coloring. Real gems and man-made stone materials - ajh-knives.com This means that the closer the tang is to full tang, the better the handle is attached.