Camel Bone? As good as Cattle Bone?

MercyfulfateXX

MercyfulfateXX

Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
2,107
Good Day everyone.

I was trying to do a little research on Camel Bone and it appears its a little more dense and better at taking dye. But is it more durable and less prone to chipping/cracking?

which is the better Bone for Knife Handles?
 
In the earlier days I was always put off with the fact knives had Camel Bone - simply because the Pakistan or Indian made knives always had it, but now I see the better quality makers are now using it-does this mean its actually cheaper to resource than Bovine Bone? or is there an actual advantage? - I cant see how Camel can be so much more superior than Bovine as Bovine has been used for how long now????
Good question Tom, it will be interesting to see what comes from your question.
 
Last edited:
It all would depend on how it was processed. Bone is mostly Bone! If it's weather or dyed, stained or stabilized or any combo there of. Bovine or Camelidae? Both can make equally fine handles. That is if you like bone handles? :p

Have fun and stay safe!
 
Thanks for your replies Duncan and Rhino.

yes I am curious as to what everyones take/comments are on this. Camel alledgedly (sp) being more dense would that mean harder maybe?
 
I'm not sure by what they mean by more dense? The internal bone structure? So is this for some kick butt 9" killer Bowie type blade? The strongest and most dense is Micarta. ;) Other composites follow.

What are you expecting this handle to do?
 
I would imagine bovine bone would be easier (and cheaper) to source since there isn't a readily available source of camel in the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, camel would be considered more exotic and command a higher (final) price. I don't know if camel is structurally stronger than bovine but it does seem to produce some beautiful color variations when dyed.
 
The question could be asked "Camel Bone, as Traditional as Cattle Bone?"
 
"Camel bone is desired for its large size. It is slightly more dense that cow shin bone." - Culpepper Supply

Personally, I like cow shin bone because it takes a dye more evenly.
 
Shaggy, those colours look superb! Seems to really take to smooth finish although the recent Schatt Big Jack has jigged.

I've been puzzling about this too, as far as I know most bovine bone is from Brazilian or Argentinian cattle?? Does this imply that N.American or European bovine bone is weaker, less dense inferior? It is odd because there must be a lot of cattle bone in Europe/N.America?? Sounds like Sambar Stag v European Red Deer or American Elk. One reason you may see Camel Bone on knives from the Indian subcontinent could be the Hindu reverence towards the Cow excludes them using this bone? Camels are big brutes with a long leg so one assumes the bone is tough stuff! But I would have thought that bone from most large animals looks pretty similar, must be difficult to tell them apart....
 
Will, according to GEC's website, their bone is North American cattle. "Handles for these well crafted knives are made in house at the GEC Bone Works and are made of exotic materials such as Indian Stag Antler, Cocobolo Wood, Snake Wood, and North American Cattle Bone." I wanted to make this distinction because when I first started buying knives I was told that everybody buys S. American bone, and I don't want others to be led astray by that assumption.
 
I do not recall having ever seen camel bone jigged. Is there a reason for this? Does anyone have an example?
 
I read somewhere, I believe it was a story in Knife World about Winterbottom, that everybody used North American Cattle Bone until WWII, when because of the war effort, there became a shortage of north American cattle bone. The companies starting using South American Cattle Bone and it was the Case Sales People that determined that South American Cattle Bone was " denser and stronger" than North American. And while this may or may not be true, it is a matter of degree. Carbon Fiber is probably stronger than Micarta, but Micarta is plenty strong enough for knife handles.
 
Last edited:
If we have an anthropologist in the house I bet we could get some bind-bending information about bone. Physical Anthropologist? That might be the specialty. I had a dinner conversation with one once that blew me away. I'm exaggerating with my example, but it reflects how in awe I was of what she could tell even from a bone fragment: She could tell if an animal walked with a limp, and what they ate last season - all from the bone. Again, my example may not be accurate but it is based on how much she could, in fact, discern by looking closely at bone. Extraordinary. It left me thinking there is large variation in bone not just between species, but between individuals within species.

I'm guessing that whoever does the bone work, say for GEC, would also have lots of this specialized knowledge, and that the knowledge would be reflected in the quality of their work. Very interesting question, MercuryfulfateXX! :cool:
 
Thanks blackbrit,

I guess my main reason for this topic is I read somewhere that a few knifemakers don't prefer Camel bone because it chips etc but then your Camel Bone Knife materials providers say its more dense and takes dye better meaning to me that it would be a better in terms of stronger material for knife handles.
ive been in the Metal world for 35 years (Former high pressure Pipe Welder, now Inspector) Metals like your higher grade SS is way more dense than Carbon steel meaning the SS is stronger but the Carbon is easier to sharpen and take and edge better.

maybe its the same principal with Camel Bone? A question to the knife makers and possibly people who do the SFOs using Camel bone, why would you use or come up with the choice to use Camel Bone?
 
MercyfulfateXX said:
Knife materials providers say its more dense and takes dye better meaning to me that it would be a better in terms of stronger material for knife handles.
Click to expand...

Actually my friend, the more dense the bone, the harder it is and does not take dye as well as a more porous bone. If you notice the camel bone has more of an Appaloosa look to it with some areas lighter than others. I think this would be the reason you don't see jigged Camel bone.

Luther's use both camel and cow bone in the nuts of guitars and there is no major difference between the two, physically or sonically.
 
Markesharp said:
Actually my friend, the more dense the bone, the harder it is and does not take dye as well as a more porous bone. If you notice the camel bone has more of an Appaloosa look to it with some areas lighter than others. I think this would be the reason you don't see jigged Camel bone.

Luther's use both camel and cow bone in the nuts of guitars and there is no major difference between the two, physically or sonically.
Click to expand...

totally true on all accounts, I should have remembered the Guitar nut comaprison being a guitar player. Example: the harder the tempered metal the easier it is to break.

good point Mark.
 
ptradeco said:
I do not recall having ever seen camel bone jigged. Is there a reason for this? Does anyone have an example?
Click to expand...

Brad, check Schatt&Morgan's current offering of the Heavy Jack. There's a thread on it knocking about at the moment.

Thanks to others for the explanation about cattle bone use, makes a lot of sense and habit can become custom over time without people thinking about it.

Regards, Will
 
Camel bone is more dense, and more expensive. The reason I choose it for the Northwoods is that I LOVE how differently it takes the dye.
 
okbohn said:
Camel bone is more dense, and more expensive. The reason I choose it for the Northwoods is that I LOVE how differently it takes the dye.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your replies Will and Derrick! it does take dye nicely! And as another member stated,it kind of like an Appaloosa effect which is very nice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top