Handle Material Browser
Explore our database of handle materials. Find the perfect wood, synthetic, or metal for your knife project.
📊 Properties Scale Explanation (0-10):
💪 Durability
0 = Very fragile/delicate | 10 = Extremely durable and resistant
0 = Very fragile/delicate | 10 = Extremely durable and resistant
💧 Moisture Resistance
0 = Not moisture resistant | 10 = Completely waterproof/impervious
0 = Not moisture resistant | 10 = Completely waterproof/impervious
🛠️ Workability
0 = Very hard to work with | 10 = Very easy to shape and work
0 = Very hard to work with | 10 = Very easy to shape and work
✨ Finish Quality
0 = Poor finish | 10 = Can be polished to mirror/perfect finish
0 = Poor finish | 10 = Can be polished to mirror/perfect finish
🤲 Grip Comfort
0 = Very slippery/uncomfortable | 10 = Perfect grip and comfort
0 = Very slippery/uncomfortable | 10 = Perfect grip and comfort
🎨 Aesthetics
0 = Plain/boring | 10 = Very beautiful and unique pattern/color
0 = Plain/boring | 10 = Very beautiful and unique pattern/color
Filters
38
materials found
Stabilized Curly Maple
Durability
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Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Beautiful figured maple that has been stabilized with resin. The curly/quilted grain pattern creates stunning chatoyance. Stabilization makes it extre...
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Desert Ironwood
Durability
Water Resistance
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Aesthetic
One of the hardest and densest woods in the world. Found in the Sonoran Desert. Natural oils make it extremely durable. Premium knife handle material.
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Bocote
Durability
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Workability
Finish Quality
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Aesthetic
Mexican exotic with dramatic grain pattern and natural oils. Black spiderwebbing over golden background creates striking appearance.
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Stabilized Buckeye Burl
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Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Highly figured burl wood from buckeye trees. Naturally soft and punky, must be stabilized. Creates stunning swirling patterns. Premium choice for cust...
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Cocobolo
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Workability
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Aesthetic
Premium Central American rosewood. Rich colors ranging from orange to deep purple-red. Natural oils provide excellent durability. Classic premium knif...
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Black Walnut
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Aesthetic
Classic American hardwood. Rich dark brown color. Easy to work and readily available. Traditional choice for knife handles and gunstocks.
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Olive Wood
Durability
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Workability
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Aesthetic
Mediterranean hardwood with distinctive grain patterns. Hard, dense, and naturally oily. Beautiful marbled appearance with cream and brown tones.
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Stabilized Spalted Maple
Durability
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Aesthetic
Maple that has been partially decomposed by fungi, creating black lines and color zones. Stabilization is essential. Creates unique artistic patterns.
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Koa
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Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Hawaiian wood known for beautiful figure and rich colors. Highly prized and increasingly rare. Curly figure is especially desirable.
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Ziricote
Durability
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Workability
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Aesthetic
Mexican exotic with stunning spiderweb grain patterns. Dark brown to black with lighter grain. Premium appearance similar to expensive snakewood.
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Maple Burl
Durability
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Aesthetic
Burl wood from maple trees. Highly figured with eyes and swirls. More stable than other burls. Stabilization recommended but not always essential.
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G10
Durability
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Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Fiberglass laminate composite. Industry standard for production and custom knives. Excellent durability and machinability. Available in many colors.
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Micarta (Canvas)
Durability
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Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Layered canvas and phenolic resin composite. Classic knife handle material. Warm feel with excellent grip. Beautiful layered appearance when contoured...
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Micarta (Linen)
Durability
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Aesthetic
Linen fabric and phenolic resin composite. Finer texture than canvas. Premium appearance with excellent handling characteristics. Classic custom folde...
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Carbon Fiber
Durability
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Aesthetic
Carbon fiber fabric in epoxy resin. High-tech appearance and performance. Extremely light and strong. Premium modern material.
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Kirinite
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Aesthetic
Proprietary pearl acrylic material. Stunning chatoyant appearance with depth and shimmer. Premium aesthetic synthetic material.
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Richlite
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Aesthetic
Layered paper and phenolic resin composite. Originally designed for industrial use. Eco-friendly and easy to work. Unique material with growing popula...
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Titanium
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Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Aerospace-grade metal. Extremely strong and corrosion resistant. Can be anodized in colors. Premium modern material. Excellent strength-to-weight rati...
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Aluminum (Anodized)
Durability
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Aesthetic
Lightweight metal that can be anodized in colors. Easy to machine. Popular for production folders and modern designs. Good value proposition.
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Brass
Durability
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Aesthetic
Copper-zinc alloy. Beautiful golden color that patinas with use. Traditional material for bolsters and guards. Easy to work and solder.
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Copper
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Aesthetic
Pure copper or copper alloy. Beautiful reddish color with natural patina development. Antimicrobial properties. Traditional and artistic applications.
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Cow Bone
Durability
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Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Bovine bone is appreciated for its hardness, resistance, and unique texture. It's easily worked, plentiful, and fairly durable, making it a popular ch...
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Camel Bone
Durability
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Finish Quality
Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Camel bone is considered one of the best bone materials due to its incredibly dense structure. It's harder than standard cow bone and offers superior ...
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Giraffe Bone
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Finish Quality
Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Giraffe bone is prized for its incredible density and unique natural patterns. It's one of the hardest bone materials available and offers excellent d...
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Jigged Bone (Dyed)
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Aesthetic
Jigged bone features machined groove patterns cut into the surface for enhanced grip and visual appeal. It's typically dyed in various colors and stab...
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Buffalo Horn
Durability
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Finish Quality
Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Buffalo horn is considered the hardiest of horned handle materials, featuring an attractive dark color with natural variations. It's sourced from wate...
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Ram Horn
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Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Ram horn (sheep horn) is just as tough as sambar stag with heavy textural lines that provide excellent grip. It typically ranges from dark olive green...
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Kudu Horn
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Aesthetic
Kudu horn comes from the African kudu antelope and is similar in properties to sheep horn. It features beautiful natural striping and color variations...
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Deer Antler
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Aesthetic
Deer antler is a sustainable material shed annually by bucks after the rut. It's lightweight yet incredibly strong with natural texture that enhances ...
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Elk Antler
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Aesthetic
Elk antler comes from one of the largest North American deer species. The antlers are huge, providing wide flat scales with very even fine bumpy textu...
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Moose Antler
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Aesthetic
Moose antler comes from the largest deer species, producing massive palmated antlers. Due to the extreme size, moose antlers have the most pith of Nor...
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Sambar Stag
Durability
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Finish Quality
Grip Comfort
Aesthetic
Sambar stag is considered premium antler material with the least amount of pith of any antlered deer, making it nice and solid for handles. It's sourc...
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Mammoth Ivory
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Aesthetic
Mammoth ivory comes from prehistoric woolly mammoths, typically 10,000+ years old, harvested from permafrost in Siberia. The inner core is prized for ...
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Mammoth Bark
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Aesthetic
Mammoth bark is the outer crust layer of mammoth tusks, featuring more dramatic patterns and color variations than the inner core. Fossilization and g...
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Stacked Leather
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Aesthetic
Stacked leather handles are made from multiple layers of leather washers compressed together on the tang. This creates a traditional comfortable grip ...
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Wrapped Leather
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Aesthetic
Leather wrapping involves spiraling leather cord or strips around the handle tang to create a traditional grip. This technique allows for various patt...
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Stingray Skin (Shagreen)
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Aesthetic
Stingray leather, called shagreen or galuchat, is covered in calcium beads made of dentine and enamel - the same material as teeth. This makes it the ...
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Mother of Pearl
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Aesthetic
Mother of Pearl (nacre) is the iridescent material from inside mollusk shells, primarily large Australian oysters. It features brilliant reflective co...
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