I build primarily Scagel style knives with the vast majority being crown stag from many different species of stag or deer. I use compressed leather and just about any type of spacer material I can find from mammoth ivory to musk ox boss. The crowns length ranges roughly from 1/4 to 2/3 the length of the handle. The stag is very tough and provides a good secure grip, I think it would be possible to chip a crown stag handle if you dropped it on a very hard surface like concrete, but it wouldn't crack. I've made countless knives over the years with hidden tang Scagel style handles with crown stag, I use epoxy and pin each and every handle and have yet to see one crack. Mineral oil, as mentioned previously, a couple times per year is a great treatment for stag handles. From my experience scales and crowns seem to be tougher than rounds, and I don't know why. I have limited experience working with different types of bone like cow and camel bone and stag seems to be a bit softer but substantially tougher for some reason as well. I have cracked bone accidentally by dropping it on the floor but never a piece of stag.