Frame & Handle
Materials....
Titanium...
By far the best liner material on a folding knife with locking liner is titanium. The main reason for this is the unique characteristic of this material to gall when exposed to friction. that in turn result in the locking mechanism being less likely to fail. Because of its high weight to strength ratio it is also ideal for many other applications such as bolsters, spines or spacers, pocket clips and thumb bobs. The ability to anodize this material in many different eye-catching colors is an added bonus, anodized titanium is however prone to abrasion and therefore not practical on a working knife. As an alternative, titanium can be polished to a satin, pearl like finish but will not take a mirror shine like most steel
Anodized titanium
Mokume Gane
This interesting material has a long history dating back to feudal Japan. It was invented by Denbei Shoami, a 17th century master metal smith and was used as sword furnishing and decorations. Mokume-Gane (pronounced Moe-koo-may Gah-nay) is made by stacking contrasting colored metal plates, e.g. copper, brass, silver, gold or platinum and fusion weld them under high temperature and pressure. The billet from this process is then forged and manipulated in order to achieve the beautiful pattern, not unlike damascus steel.
Mokume-Gane
Micarta
As handle material on a working knife, Micarta is my first choice, because of its tasteful colors and durable properties.
It has a phenolic or epoxy resin matrix, reinforced with either canvas, linen or paper, each with an individual look.
Ivory coloured Micarta
Jig-bone
A popular material made from natural bone, commonly from a shinbone of a cow. It is manufactured to give it the look of stag while still retaining the useful flat curved surface. Jigged bone is available in a variety of colors.
Honey coloured Jigbone
Mother of Pearl
This beautiful material from the sea is admired by many and has been used for grips on firearms and knives for hundreds of years. The availability of larger shells are however becoming very limited and the supply of this material in sufficient size for knife handles may one day be a thing of the past.
Mother of Pearl
Mammoth Ivory and Bone
As Elephant Ivory is getting more difficult to obtain Mammoth and Mastodon are becoming a more realistic source of material. These majestic animals lived from about 4 million to as late as 4.000 years ago. Hidden for thousands of years in the remote Arctic tundra of Alaska, Canada and Siberia are the massive ivory tusks of the Woolly Mammoth. Larger than today's Indian elephant, their tusks could weigh up to 300 pounds each and measure over 16 feet in length. Color variations between tan, brown and blue are a result of thousands of years exposure to different minerals in the in the soil surrounding the fallen mammoth.
Mammoth Ivory Bark
Natural Wood
Wood is a wonderful versatile material and is one of natures treasure chests
For scales on a folding knife it has to be chosen with care to avoid shrinking and warping. In many instances stabilizing is the solution, especially where burl is being used. In the stabilizing process a thermosetting resin is forced into the wood and cured using catalyst, heat and pressure. Some wood types with a very high density does not require stabilizing while others more porous types are greatly improved by this procedure.
Desert Ironwood
Leopard Burl
