Bubinga Exotic

What You Need To Know About Hunting Knife Handles

Wood Handles

Hard wood is one of the most popular materials for knife handles. Hard woods like Cocobolo, Rosewood, Ebony and Bubinga are used very most often. Other more exotic woods that are used are Guayacan, Pakkawood, Rose/Root. Wood handles provide good grip and are warm in the hand, but are more difficult to care for. They are relatively inexpensive and are easy to be shaped by the knife maker. A well shaped and polished hard wood handle feels extraordinarily good in hand while holding it or using it for cutting and slicing and they also look aesthetically very nice. They do not resist water well, and will crack or warp with prolonged exposure to water. Modern stabilized and laminated woods have largely overcome these problems. Many beautiful and exotic hardwoods are employed in the manufacture of custom and some production knives. Whatever you do, do not let a wood handle knife soak in a sink full of water. This will cause warping and delimitation of the handle. In some countries it is now forbidden for commercial butchers’ knives to have wood handles, for sanitary reasons.

Micarta Handle

Micarta is a popular handle material on everyday work knives due to its toughness and stability. Micarta is impervious to water, is gripable when wet, and is an excellent insulator. Micarta has come to refer to any fibrous material cast in resin. There are many varieties of Micarta available. One very popular version is a fiberglass impregnated resin called G-10. Other types of Micarta, a composite synthetic material made of linen or paper with epoxy resin is commonly used in handle material. This is very strong, extremely durable and light. This comes in glossy or matte finish for grips and can be extremely durable. These are one of the best choices for tough heavy duty knives. Paper, linen and denim micartas are available for different degrees of toughness. There are many different polymer materials available, the best among them being ABS which is a high strength polymer that can be molded very easily and kraton – a springy polymer, mostly used as a flexible inlay in the grip. Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon is a polymer that can be molded using injection molding.

Horn and Bone Handles

More exotic materials usually only seen on art or ceremonial knives include: Cattle bone, mammoth tooth, mammoth ivory, walrus tusk, antler (often called stag in a knife context), sheep horn, buffalo horn. Many materials have been employed in knife handles. Stag is extremely popular although it is becoming more and more costly and rare. The charm of stag comes from the rough texture of the surface that gives a nice grip to the user. Some feel that it makes it hard to use. Stag handles should be carefully chosen after trying out the grip. These days many artificial handles are available to replace stag handles. 

Leather Handles

Leather handles are seen on some hunting and military knives. Leather handles are typically produced by stacking leather washers, as a sleeve surrounding another handle material. The fabrication of the leather handle consists of soaking leather washers in a solution than stacking them one on top of the other on a sleeve then compressing them together with a clamp and let to dry. This process preshrinks the leather so it will not shrink after the knife handle is completed. Once dry the clamp is removed then contact surfaces of the wet formed dry washer’s then need to have contact cement applied to contact surfaces. The contact cement takes just a few minutes to dry, they are then epoxied and stacked on the knife tang exactly how they were compressed the first time, clamped and let to dry. After drying the knife handle is then formed on a belt grinder. Great care is advised here. The grinder belt will eat leather like nothing else you have ever ground. A light touch is advised! The use of square leather washers is for a grinding index. It creates an index to keep the roundness of the handle in proper prospect. Finish the leather as desired, and apply a good sealer.

Rubber Handles

Rubber or textured handles are also available, as these are soft on the hands and provide a pretty good grip during wet conditions. Rubber handles such as Kraton or Respirine-C are generally preferred over plastic due to their durable and cushioning nature. Rubberized handles, due to their composition are the best grip for a hunting knife. They may not be the most appealing in appearance but are the least expensive and will hold up to vigorous day to day use.

Summary

An important decision that you should considered while buying a hunting knife is the grip offered by it. The handle should offer very strong grip because you will face such situations where blood will affect your grip on the handle. Pay attention to the contour of the handgrip while selecting a handle, it should be comfortable to hold. You should also look for the right kind of balance and weight between the blade and handle when selecting the perfect hunting knife.

About the Author

I have been a knife enthusiast for years and have brought my passion to life by creating this website and offer quality knives and tools to hunters in the USA

Steel Hunting Knives

Your Hunting Knife Specialist

Mike Lurk

www.steelhuntingknives.com

Dean Exotic Bubinga ML

Bubinga Wood Cane With Bubinga Handle by Finna Handle Material: Bubinga WoodShaft Material: Bubinga WoodRing Material: SilverLength: 36.30 inchRubber End: 0.00 inch…

EKA Lingstrom Series Swedish Paring Knife Sandvik 12C27 Stainless Exotic Bubinga Wood Handles $110.00 Made by EKA, Cutlery maker since 1882. Swedish Sandvik 12C27 stainless. Oiled Bubinga wood handles. EKA developed a series of 4 Professional Quality knives with famous Swedish Chef Christer Lingstrom. Top of the blade near the shaft is rounded to avoid blisters when handling the knife in the traditional chef manner. Comes in an attractive Black Gift Box. Hand wash only. Thanks for looking and ya’l…

Bubinga Turning Squares 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” x 18” $8.00 Bubinga Turning Squares measure a full 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” x 18” and are cut from premium kiln dried lumber. Surfaced on all 4 sides….

Bubinga by the Piece, 1/4” x 5” x 24” $13.99 Often referred to as “African Rosewood,” Bubinga has become a popular choice for musical instruments and fine decorative pieces. It showcases gorgeous grain patterns and a myriad of reddish brown tones with purple veining. These thin boards are machined S4S, eliminating wear and tear on your planer. You won’t have to worry about chipout, which is difficult to prevent when planing thin stock. Thin …

Bubinga by the Piece, 1/8” x 1-1/2” x 24” $4.29 Often referred to as “African Rosewood,” Bubinga has become a popular choice for musical instruments and fine decorative pieces. It showcases gorgeous grain patterns and a myriad of reddish brown tones with purple veining. These thin boards are machined S4S, eliminating wear and tear on your planer. You won’t have to worry about chipout, which is difficult to prevent when planing thin stock. Thin …

Ursula Style Hair Fork Natural Exotic African Bubinga Wood Whether you are going to the prom, a business meeting or an afternoon in the park, you will love putting your hair in a casual up do with this beautiful hair accessory, hand crafted and carved in the beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains by the designer crafts team, Phil and Martha Baerreis. We carefully crafted it from Beautiful Bubinga Wood, (Guibourtia demeusei) also known as African Rosewoo…

Baerreis Original Design Hair Fork Rosebud Style Natural Exotic African Bubinga Wood $30.00 Choose the length which is right for you – The functional prong length is listed above.Whether you are going to the prom, a business meeting or an afternoon in the park, you will love putting your hair in a casual up do with this beautiful hair accessory, hand crafted and carved in the beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains by the designer/craftsman. Shown here in Exotic African Bubinga – as we…

Genuine Bubinga Derby Walking Cane With Bubinga Wood Shaft and Silver Collar $64.99 Bubinga wood is a wood that is used to make high-end furniture because of its hardiness and unique wood grain characteristics. Bubinga wood has a lot of similarities to rosewood. The heart of this wood has a reddish-brown tint with dark brownish- purple wood grain streaks. When this wood is sanded bubinga has an impeccable smooth surface, which is extremely rich in character. This cane has a thin …

Handcrafted Bubinga and Mahogany Case for iPhone 4/4S $89.95 Our cases are made in the USA and handcrafted from the finest sources of reclaimed, re-purposed, sustainable, or responsibly grown wood. Infused with non toxic resins to provide strength and durability; strong and durable yet still very lightweight. You will love the look and feel of our lustrous, glossy finishes. And our cases eliminate any antenna performance problems. Fits all versions of iPho…

Handcrafted Bubinga Burl Solid Back Case for iPhone 4 and 4S $89.95 Our cases are made in the USA and handcrafted from the finest sources of reclaimed, re-purposed, sustainable, or responsibly grown wood. Infused with non toxic resins to provide strength and durability; strong and durable yet still very lightweight. You will love the look and feel of our lustrous, glossy finishes. And our cases eliminate any antenna performance problems. Fits all versions of iPho…