Giraffe Bone?

JD Mandrell

JD Mandrell

Joined
Apr 20, 2001
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In the recent "dealbreakers" thread, I saw several people mention Giraffe Bone as being a dealbreaker.

As someone that is still taking small steps into custom knives, what should I know about it?
 
The main thing to know is that it's been falling out of favor fast. Some guys love it, more and more seem to hate it. I only have one custom Giraffe Bone knife in my collection, and though I'll never get rid of it...I wish sometimes it was handled with something else;)
 
It is very solid, durable, and can look good if it isn't dyed a gaudy colour. I just have never cared for the look of it, except on one knife. That giraffe bone was pure white and almost looked like ivory. Every time someone tries to make it look like mammoth ivory it always looks to me like a pale imitation.
 
The Last Confederate said:
In the recent "dealbreakers" thread, I saw several people mention Giraffe Bone as being a dealbreaker.

As someone that is still taking small steps into custom knives, what should I know about it?
Click to expand...

You ask a good question here. I like the look and the versatility of the material, however I will most likely not buy a piece utilizing it because of the bad press in previous threads.
What's wrong with it? :confused: I know it can have a veiny look or grainy but doesn't seem to crack too bad?
 
It is polarizing and while it has its fans, a great many more don't care for it and some positively abhor it. I don't think there's anything wrong with the material itself (although gaudy disco rainbow colours should be avoided at all costs). I have seen some knives where you would mistake the bone for walrus or even mammoth ivory. While I can "take it or leave it" it is not real high on my list of materials I would choose if custom-ordering a knife. Some knives just call out for a fine piece of stag, others nice ivory and others yet premium wood. I just can't conceive of the knife where I would say "giraffe bone really belongs on this peice" moreso than other materials.

All of that said, it wouldn't stop me from buying a knife that I really liked.

Roger
 
It's like cowbone except is is more dense and has definitive liner markings (cracks?) that accept quite a bit more color when dyed.

It was introduced to the US market only fairly recently, so was quite popular for a while. I am no expert on the material by any means. However, some people have no problem using dyed and jigged cowbone on an $800 slip joint (traditional), but have a real problem with using dyed giraffe bone on a $350 hunter (yikes!, radical).

I think the "anti" giraffe bone guys have bought into their own "knock down the new material" on the block fad. Some buyers hate micarta, for no good reason either. Bob Loveless hunters with micarta scales fetch $4500. Loveless hunters with sambar stag fetch $4500. I assure you the stag costs more to put on the handle, but it doesn't seem to affect the overall price.

Timascus made an impact a few years ago, but you will find it's use today is pretty marginal. I wouldn't scale a bowie with it, but it looks pretty good on some smaller folders. Like any material, artistic judgement will dictate whether it is well applied.
 
Thanks guys, I was afraid it maybe was not good handle material, i.e. cracked easy or something.
 
Giraffe bone looks good to a lot of people, otherwise you wouldn't see it on so many knives nor see so many knifemakers buying it at shows. Giraffe bone handled knives get sold, but maybe not to the rarified members of this forum.

In its natural form it's white. Think of it as a canvas for the dye. Due to the cracks, each piece can be unique, this makes it different from cow bone. Some think it's "immitation" mamoth ivory, but not to anyone who knows. Some of the colors are kind of wild, but so what...there's rooom for all sorts of wildness in custom knives. It's quite stable and makes a good reliable handle. I bought a knife recently with "gasp" orange/white giraffe bone. By his grizzled looks, you'd never guess the master smith who made the knife would have picked that color. Know what...it looks good and gets a lot of compliments due to its "different" look.
 
Jigged bone is considered acceptable on a thousand dollar (+) slip joint as that is the traditional material to use for those folders. With Remington jigged bone bringing a premium (must have been special cows). Then again why someone would put the shin bone of a cow on a thousand dollar knife escapes me.

Giraffe bone was used when Stag started to dry up. Good solid material. However, as others have alluded too it was the dying process that made the material look ridiculous in some cases. Similar to Wild Woods back in the 90's.

I don't agree with the anti-giraffe bone guys have bought into their own "knock down the new material" on the block fad. I don't deal in fads!

I have never owned a knife with giraffe bone on it and only one jigged bone knife and that was a Tony Bose knife I received in a trade.

Any material can become a fad. Makers and subsequently collectors are always looking for the "NEXT THING". Whether it is steel or other materials to use on a knife.

If you like it buy it or use it. Just understand that for a maker the knife will take longer to sell in the primary market and for a collector it will take longer to trade and/or sell. Selling will usually be done at a loss.

WWG
 
The wildly colored stuff is about as attractive to me as "Dymondwood", but, then again, I feel about the same way when I see dyed wood in silly colors. Hell, I don't even like the NATURAL color of pink ivory!!!! The natural giraffe bone seems like a perfectly good looking handle material. I don't see what all the hooey is about animal handle materiels anyway, other than ivory. Some of them, like sheep and various antelope horns, make for rough, uneven handles. Even stag seems to limit the shapes you can make with your handle unless you want to grind away the very surface texture that makes it attractive. And personally, I prefer ivory that is, generally speaking, IVORY colored. I would hesitate to pay a super premium price for fossil ivory that was cracked and had blue or green mineralized streaks in it. I don't know that I like dark "bark" on any ivory. Just me maybe, but I like wood and DON"T see it as a downmarket choice.
 
Architect said:
I think the "anti" giraffe bone guys have bought into their own "knock down the new material" on the block fad. Some buyers hate micarta, for no good reason either. Bob Loveless hunters with micarta scales fetch $4500. Loveless hunters with sambar stag fetch $4500. I assure you the stag costs more to put on the handle, but it doesn't seem to affect the overall price.
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Did you buy a lot of knives in giraffe bone, Architect?

People don't like giraffe bone because they don't like it. It is a matter of personal choice, and taste.

I won't buy a knife with this handle material because I don't like the way it looks. Will not own it in my collection, and will not buy for resale.

People don't like Micarta because it is mostly plastic.

I like Micarta, but recognize that it is NOT a premium handle material.

Please check with Dave Ellis before you start pricing Loveless knives, unless you know something I don't about these knives(doubtful, but possible). $4,900 was Loveless's price on Stag hunters 2 years ago. His prices have gone up since then, quite a bit, I have been informed.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Man, we're an opiniated bunch!!! :D

So, I'll toss my ought two cents worth in...

I don't really care for GBone for two reasons -
1) It usually looks too gaudy and sorta fake to me;
2) It's cold to the hand, much more so than jigged cowbone.

Now, do I own any to make this observation? Yes, one, a folder I picked up at the OKCA show several years ago. I really liked the knife, it's design and the overall craftsmanship, and the color of the handle is a kind of grey with darker veining, which I felt wasn't too gaudy a look. It's the only one I own with GBone, and through carrying and handling it, I percieve it to be somewhat cold to the hand no matter how much I use it. Now this could be 'cause it's smooth, unlike jigged bone, but I doubt I'll buy another one unless I REALLY like the knife for a lot of other reasons.

But also know this is just my opinion... And as I've stated in other threads, I'm no fan of stag, either... But I do own a few! :D

So in the end, it depends more on the overall work, but I'd be more hesitant pulling the trigger on another GBone knife due to my own personal observations...
 
Kohai999 said:
Did you buy a lot of knives in giraffe bone, Architect?

People don't like giraffe bone because they don't like it. It is a matter of personal choice, and taste.

I won't buy a knife with this handle material because I don't like the way it looks. Will not own it in my collection, and will not buy for resale.

People don't like Micarta because it is mostly plastic.

I like Micarta, but recognize that it is NOT a premium handle material.

Please check with Dave Ellis before you start pricing Loveless knives, unless you know something I don't about these knives(doubtful, but possible). $4,900 was Loveless's price on Stag hunters 2 years ago. His prices have gone up since then, quite a bit, I have been informed....
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No g-bones for me, I had one on order, but the maker got popular and screwed over me and many others that had orders, so I never got it. If the right Sawby came along with giraffe, I wouldn't hesitate to pick it up. However, Scott seems to have an endless supply of nice sambar stag (great to have textured grips on knives as thin as his).

Micarta is a "premium" material if it sits on a "premium" knife. Iridescent blue-green-purple bark mammoth ivory slabs are worth crap if it sits on a crummy knife.

As regards the Loveless's, I see Hoffman has a stag drop point up for $5,295 while Nordic Knives has one up for $4,995 but I don't see any micarta's (or giraffe bones) up for sale so that suggests there is a glut in the Loveless Drop Hunter stag market :D and there has been a run on micarta's and giraffe bone hunters :eek: :eek:
 
I ordered a custom knife with antique linen micarta. Maker called to tell me he was out and he had something different that he thought I would like. It came in Giraffe bone. I hated it and sent it back. I had to settle for a different ivory micarta. I'm still not happy with the looks of the knife, but I won't get rid of it.
 
If it was a user and not very expensive, and the giraffe bone was left in its natural colour, I would be okay with it. I would never have it on one of my collection though.
 
You don't like it? then don't buy it.:yawn:
I personally have used it on a few of my D/A's. I find it quite suitable as it is more dense and much more stable than ivory.
Used properly I think It looks pretty good. What do you think?

DSC00565.jpg
 
I for myself do not see any reason to dislike giraffe bone!
I don`t understand these discussions about it.
Giraffe bone, camel bone, cow bone, where`s the point to prefer cow shin bone over the others? In my opinion they are all very well qualified as durable and nice handle materials. And when they are natural coloured and not "disco coloured" there`s nothing wrong with it. ;) :D
As a lover of natural materials I prefer any bone over micarta or the like!;)
On the other hand that doesn`t mean micarta handled knives don`t look fine if well made but I do not want to have any in my collection!

You see, different people - different likings! And that`s what makes things interesting. Otherwise life could be boring. :D
 
Hi Roknjs,

Antique implies at least 75 to 100 years old. There is no such thing as "antique" micarta, linen or otherwise. Most "ivory" micarta that is exposed to any kind of light will begin to yellow, it becomes exceptionally ugly if it was scrimshawed. As the white micarta becomes a variation of yellow and the black ink turns blue.

If you ever see a knife that has white on one side and yellow on the other. The knife was displayed on one side for a period of time. Since no light got to the non-display side it stays white longer.

Point to all this if a maker or a seller tells you they have "antique" micarta walk away.

WWG
Purveyor of fine handle material.
 
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