2018 BF Knife Poll 5.2: Animal Handle Materials

Choose your Animal Material Champion: 2 Votes Allowed

  • Buffalo - $$

    Votes: 25 8.0%

  • Elk - Grade A Natural Shed - $$

    Votes: 135 43.3%

  • Ram Horn - $$

    Votes: 128 41.0%

  • Jigged Bone - $$

    Votes: 112 35.9%

  • Giraffe Bone - $$

    Votes: 31 9.9%

  • Camel Bone - $$

    Votes: 17 5.4%

  • Stag - $$$

    Votes: 40 12.8%
  • Total voters
    312
  • Poll closed .
Pàdruig said:
Seems that Jigged Bone has taken the lead. I am not opposed to this but I am still pulling for Elk.

I recognize that Elk is not as flashy as Sambar Stag or Exotic Woods or even deeply colored Jigged Bone but there is lot of depth and sentimental value to it on a personal level. It is sourced from the Pacific Northwest, which is where I make my home. It is where I hunt for elk. It is where I appreciate and bask in the magnificence of our mountains and forests and the elk here are integral to those experiences.

Elk are exceptional animals. Powerful, beautiful, rugged, and yes.... Delicious. They never cease to amaze me and I can tell you there is nothing like having a bull scream at you from 30 yards away. Gets the blood going for sure.

Pretty pictures can do a lot to sway folks and so I will post a picture from GEC's site and I hope some of you who own knives clad in elk will post them as well just to show how attractive a cover this can be. That being said, I do recognize that just like with Sambar, not every piece is going to look like these. Honestly, I'd be happy with the plainest of elk, just having it would make my year.

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As a fellow PNW resident, you struck home with this post. We shall see where the chips may fall!
 
Here are my only two Elk knives.

Although these are GEC and not Buck, it does show that Elk can be a beautiful cover even when thin and narrow.

There is some variance in scale thickness, but definitely within acceptable limits for me.

I love jigged bone, but with elk being in the same price category ($$) as bone, this is an easy decision for me. My only vote for now is elk.
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I love jigged bone, but have never really seen a Buck with jigged bone covers that really caught my eye.
 
Will Power said:
Time for all those Elk voters to move over to Ram's Horn.....:D:D

It's Horn with ready made jigging - very random not machine done:cool:;)
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I left one vote with Elk (though the minor asymmetry of the ones shown above is enough to grate on me...I could probably keep/carry the one; but the other would have to go). However, I did change my other vote to ram's horn.
Realistically, I think you should approach this from the other end. Buffalo, Camel, Giraffe, and Stag are so far behind as to not have a chance...if those people jumped a vote to Ram, it would matter.
 
I am making new scales for my Grandpa’s old Imperial barlow out of water buffalo horn. It is uniformly pitch black, so may end up looking like delrin, lol. Still, I think it’s going to polish up real well. The thing is, the smell, shaping it on the sanders is something else. It gets right through the dust mask. The smell reminded me that horn, ram, water buffalo, cow, etc is nothing but the equivalent of layer upon layer of fingernail cells.:confused:

So switch those ram votes to majestic elk antler!:cool::D
 
Pàdruig said:
Seems that Jigged Bone has taken the lead. I am not opposed to this but I am still pulling for Elk.

I recognize that Elk is not as flashy as Sambar Stag or Exotic Woods or even deeply colored Jigged Bone but there is lot of depth and sentimental value to it on a personal level. It is sourced from the Pacific Northwest, which is where I make my home. It is where I hunt for elk. It is where I appreciate and bask in the magnificence of our mountains and forests and the elk here are integral to those experiences.

Elk are exceptional animals. Powerful, beautiful, rugged, and yes.... Delicious. They never cease to amaze me and I can tell you there is nothing like having a bull scream at you from 30 yards away. Gets the blood going for sure.

Pretty pictures can do a lot to sway folks and so I will post a picture from GEC's site and I hope some of you who own knives clad in elk will post them as well just to show how attractive a cover this can be. That being said, I do recognize that just like with Sambar, not every piece is going to look like these. Honestly, I'd be happy with the plainest of elk, just having it would make my year.

nZLUC8h.png
Click to expand...
Alrighty. I didn't think my mind could be changed, but you got me.
 
I just used my second vote for Elk.
I still hope Ram will pull ahead over the weekend, but I ain't gonna hold my breath that it does.
I'd probably turn a wee bit blue iffin I did.

Edit:
The jigged bone looks good, but I already have a 371 with Amber Jigged Bone.
 
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abbydaddy said:
So just in case anyone was wondering why I am so hot for elk (edit: According to SK I have been wrong about this all along, this is actually stag) on this knife, it is all thanks to the image that skblades skblades shared right at the beginning of this process, before Buck was even officially chosen, he had some examples made. And that <top one> sure piqued my interest. I mean, the burlap and the buckeye are lovely, BUT THE <TOP ONE>!!!
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I mean, it might take us out of the $100 range, but imagine that <top one> with grooved bolsters and FFG with a long pull on the main. Tell me that combo would not be exquisite!
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This is the photo I was thinking of when I voted for the Burlap
 
Seems the voting mania has cooled off for now. Will be interesting to see what happens in a couple days when everyone with two votes in starts shifting around. Pulling for jigged bone in this one, just for the relative consistency in thickness and jigging. Elk has some appeal, but I really don't like one side fatter than the other.
 
They’re tied oh boy. Don’t think jigged bone has a shot against the wood choice but it could be surprising
 
Jigged bone!!! I think it has a shot! The possibilities are endless!
 
Just as long as the jigged bone is different from the jigged bone Walmart 371 ...

Maybe scratting (or even checkering) instead of jigging would be a high cost alternative?
 
afishhunter said:
Just as long as the jigged bone is different from the jigged bone Walmart 371 ...

Maybe scratting (or even checkering) instead of jigging would be a high cost alternative?
Click to expand...

I am positive it would be different jigging. It seems like Bucks custom shop is also willing to do "different," things for us with this knife so I would expect some great choices on jigged bone (part of the reason why I thought we went with buck was the amount of choices). I think with jigging you get a consistent cover that will look nice. I'm not looking forward to mismatching thick and thin elk covers.
 
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