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Modern Knife Handle Trends

I am noticing that just about all the new products coming out have handles made of more modern type materials. Titanium, Carbon Fiber, G-10, Micarta. All these materials do very little for the actual function of a knife. Folding or One-Piece. Just raises the price tag. I know; lighter weight, texture for grip, strength, water & corrosion resistance. But where is the Woods? Stag? Nothing old school except traditional slip joint pocketknives.

What are your thoughts on these handle materials, and what do you prefer to see more of and why?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sunil Ram on January 23, 2014 at 20:37

Benchmade has new models with Wood.

Boker has a few with Wood or Stag,

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on January 23, 2014 at 23:02

I' m 60, so I guess I am old school .Unless it is a hardore EDC, the new materials are just plain (butt ugly) in comparison to a bone,stag, MOP, etc handle materisl. Even the old or even some of the new cwlluloid has much more visible appeal than the new materials- The term "tactical" has become the term for, let's just throw an ugly handle on it and call it done it too many cases -IMHO- Don't get me wrong, many are quality knives, just visually unappealing, in my book -

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Permalink Reply by Alexander Noot on January 24, 2014 at 1:10

Well, all those materials you're mentioning aren't made to be good looking. They're made for strength, chemical resistance etc.

Personally I kind of like the look of some of the more special micartas. But you won't see those on production knives.

But G-10 is one of the strongest materials around aside from being water an chemically resistant. The stuff shown off at SHOT show is meant for a certain market, the shooting, hunting and outdoor market. They LIKE things that won't shrink/expand when wet. It's practical.

When you go camping/hiking for days in a row saving weight can be high up there on your list of priorities.

When you're butchering something you've just killed something grippy can be very nice when your fingers are covered in blood.

I know I know, not everyone has the need for those kind of things. But for some people that's just the ticket.

Woods are still used quite a lot but mostly by the traditional companies. And who can blame them? You don't have to take care about humidities when storing G-10, Micarta en Titanium. (Or CF).

I understand where you're coming from because I have a love for the natural materials. But It's hard to fault the companies. "Tactical" sells and they're in buisiness to make money. Plus "Tactical" is often cheaper to make.

But I'll take a nice piece of Cocobolo over a piece of Micarta almost any day.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on January 24, 2014 at 5:47

I prefer bone, stag, even delrin - I am just a traditional kind of guy. I do like the newer handles and have some, but I prefer the more traditional ones.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Terry Ray on January 24, 2014 at 7:50

Guess your right Sunil, Benchmade does have a new line out "Hunt" which is using wood handles on both fixed and hunters.

good looking series of knives. Modern times , "the world is a changing again" but the more it changes the more it stays the same.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on January 24, 2014 at 9:05

I prefer natural materials for knife handles. I don't own many with man made materials. I guess I'm old fashion but that's just what I like.

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Permalink Reply by Howard P Reynolds on August 6, 2015 at 19:49

This topic started a year or so ago, but I recently saw a new handle/scales material called C-Tek. The way I read the specs., it is aluminum honeycomb infused with resin. I'm wondering if anyone has tried a knife with C-Tek, or Kirinite, another recent handle material. Given the earlier responses on this topic, I think a bunch of my go-to guys on knife stuff probably haven't given C-Tek or Kirinite a thought. I kinda understand. I had a Ruger Blackhawk in .357 with wood grips, but also had a Colt 1911 with Pachmayr grips. Great gripping power with the Pachmayrs so I got a set for the Blackhawk. Ugly as sin, and "destroyed" the look of my cowboy six-shooter, but the grip was perfect. The gun never moved in my hand.

Most of my fixed-blade field knives have Micarta handles, which I like for its utility, and the knife is stable in my hand, not slippery. I have a couple knives with G-10, which aren't as "grippy"as Micarta, and nothing matches either the rubber based stuff that Western used to use, or Cold Steel's Kraton. My only problem with Kraton is that on a bare hand the "bumpy" pattern of the handle on the Trailmaster kinda irritates my hand. A leather glove solves that problem, and for bushcraft/survival skill practice a pair of leather gloves is probably a good idea anyway.

So, wondering what C-Tek or Kirinite feels like on a fixed-blade? Anybody adventurous enough to have tried C-Tek?