Custom knife opinions needed

[JLaw]

I need some opinions on the latest knife I'm working on. The blade is 440C stainless, obviously the brass guard has not been completed yet (blade's not heat treated yet either), but here's my question... which style handle material do you think would look better with this knife, the antler tip shown in one photo, or a wood handle hollowed out for hidden tang construction and shaped accordingly? The wood blocks shown in photo are tulip wood on top and black palm on bottom, these are just to show a general difference between the stag and wood, if you have any recommendations for types of wood for the handle please feel free to post it!

I had begun this knife with the intentions of the antler tip, but after seeing the stag put into place it's not quite my cup of tea. However this one might be up for sale after completion so I'm looking for a general opinion.

Thanks in advance,

JLaw

 

[vicdotcom]

I agree, the antler doesn't look quite right with that dramatic taper to it. I like the look of the black palm with the brass.

 

[JTW Jr.]

I would go with the wood as well , the antler wouldn't be carry or user friendly with that shape.

 

[messerist]

Definitely black palm.

 

[Jason_G]

If you decided to use antler, you'd be better suited with a thicker piece, off the main beam, preferrably right there at the base so that it'd include the burl. Tines work nicely for long thin flowing blade shapes that have some recurve to them, and real small blades, but they just look odd on short, fat skinner blades, as you've noticed.

Here's a knife I made years ago with similar blade geometry, and I also played around with using a tine (and it was a thick tine off a big deer), but it just didn't please the eye at all. Ended up using the mainbeam.



I called that one my "mountain man" knife. I wanted to make it look rugged and homemade, like you'd expect to see on the hip of an old trapper or something. I left most of the file marks in it to make it look more rustic.

Anyway, like the others said, out of the options you present, I also think the black palm looks best. Save your tine for a real small squirrel skinner.

Jason

 

[hso]

Go with the wood.

 

[Valkman]

The wood.

 

[7X57chilmau]

Black wood...

 

[HoosierQ]

Wood here too. Antler is very tempting stuff to work with and I can see what you're after there...and it is a good thought. But that blade needs a nice wood handle. You won't regret going that route.

 

[Searcher1970]

I'd have to say the wood would look better. You could do a spacer out of the antler with the black palm too.

 

[BHP FAN]

I like Jason's crown stag antler,not the pointy lil' patch knife handle.

 

[JLaw]

Black palm it is. I'll make up my mind on using a spacer or not while the blades off at heat treat.

Thanks all,

JLaw

 

[Jason_G]

Black palm it is. I'll make up my mind on using a spacer or not while the blades off at heat treat.

Thanks all,

JLaw

Post pics when you get it all done.

Jason