Choosing your knife handle is often over looked as most of the attention is directed toward the knife blade. The handle can either make or break the knife as if you can’t hold onto your knife then it isn’t going to do you any good. Choosing a hunting knife handle that fits your personality gives you a chance to differentiate yourself from other hunters. You can personalize your handle by engraving your name, adding custom stones or custom materials.
Knife handles can be made out of many different types of materials including kitchen linoleum to many different types of hardwoods. The most common knife handle is wood or bone. The wood handle can give it a nice finish and provides a nice grip for the user. Stag is also a very popular handle material but is becoming more rare causing the price to be higher. Stag provides a nice texture for your grip. If you can’t afford the high price of stag then you can look at some artificial materials like rubber and plastic. The new synthetic materials make it more affordable to get a quality handle that feels good in the users hand.
Micarta is another commonly used material for knife handles. It is a synthetic composite material that is extremely durable that is made out of paper or linen with an epoxy resin. Another great thing about this is that it is incredibly lightweight but yet so durable. You can get Micarta handles in many different colors adding more personalization to your knife handle.
There are many different polymers that are used for knife handles. One of them being ABS. ABS is a high strength polymer that can be easily molded. Kraton is another polymer that is springy and flexible and is often used as an inlay in the handle.
Titanium is another popular knife handle material. It is extremely durable and has an incredibly high tensile strength while still being lightweight. It is resistant to corrosion and does not require much for maintenance.
Knife handles require special care. If you have a wood handle it needs to be cleaned and oiled regularly. If you have a metal or bone handle then make sure it doesn’t stay wet or moist for extended periods of time. Synthetic or polymer materials are ones that may work best for hunting knives. They still provide a good grip even when they are wet and being wet for extended periods of time will not affect their long term durability.
All in all the knife handle that you choose a personal choice. You need to get out there and hold as many knives as you can and get a feel for how they feel in your hand