While the knife steel is the most important component of the knife, the knife handle plays an extremely important role in the utility of the knife and is often largely responsible for its aesthetics, as well how it feels in the hand.

 

Mühlhäuser knives are offered with very wide variety of handles. Whether you want basic black G10 handles, bone, antler or exotic woods, we have you covered. Or treat yourself to something special by choosing luxurious options like mammoth tooth, mammoth ivory, or even fossil coral knife handles.

 

Not to make matters confusing, but there are also other options when it comes to handles. Perhaps first and foremost are bolster and pommel options. Bolsters are generally metal pieces which are historically put into place at the front of the handle to strengthen the overall knife (hence the word "bolster"). They are often shaped to provide level of protection for the user as well by helping ensure the forefinger and the sharp blade do not accidentally come into contact. Pommels generally protect the back end of the knife. This is helpful especially with some of the more exotic handle materials such as mammoth tooth in which the pommel helps protect the handle in the case of an accidental drop on a hard surface.

 

Other handle options include custom finger contours, handle inlays, and even the type of pins or screws which help hold the knife scales securely in place.

 

Let's take a look at a few of the materials in more detail.

 

G10, Micarta & Carbon Fiber

Knife Scales made of G10, Micarta and Carbon Fiber are exceptionally durable man made materials and make for nice knife handles. G10 is essentially a woven fiberglass material which is then soaked in a special epoxy resin and compressed under high heat. It is available in a wide variety of colors.

 

Micarta is similar, but based on either paper, linen or canvas. It tends to be smoother than G10, which can be good or bad, depending on your application and intended use.

 

Carbon Fiber knife handles get a lot of looks because of its pattern and weight. A nicely coated piece of carbon fiber is beautiful for sure.

 

As mentioned elsewhere, knifemakers tend to be one of the most opinionated groups of people out there. At M.G. Muhlhauser, we are no different! In doing so, we are very respectful of others, and our opinions are just that - opinions. That said, we are often asked which material is "best". Well, that depends on the application. Generally, people who ask this question, are asking because they want a durable knife. For example, we have made tactical knives for members of the military. In such a case, we take into consideration the need for the material to be durable, shock resistant, resistant to moisture and certain chemicals, and have good grip retention. Our usual recommendation in this case would be G10, which we would configure in a drab, non-reflective finish (often to match the environment – ie. olive green, sand..etc.), and then optimized with good gripping properties. We would obviously pair that up with some seriously strong steel.

 

Take the different example of someone who would like to use their knife for food preparation and would like a silky smooth handle. Then we would likely recommend looking at a Micarta handle.

 

We generally only recommend carbon fiber where weight savings and looks are the main priority. While we love the look of carbon fiber knife scales, our testing has shown it to be not as impact resistant as some of the other materials. 

 

Wood Knife Handles

Wood can make a terrific knife handle and, in the beginning, was our most popular handle material. One of the nicest aspects of a wood handle is that no two pieces are identical. By choosing a wood handle, your knife becomes unique to you immediately. But there is a bit more to it than just good looks!

 

Not all woods are created equal. For example, Desert Ironwood tends to be one of our most popular woods. It is naturally tough, hard and looks good. It can be used to make a great knife handle. Trying to give the "fingernail" test to this wood would likely send some folks to need a manicure (not us… we do our nails on our industrial grinders… usually by accident.) On the other end of the spectrum, we once took in some wonderfully dried Coconut Palm. As is, it is a couple steps up from a good, thick Styrofoam. Even the thinnest of fingernails can put a good dent into this stuff.

 

End of story? No way. Enter the new world of stabilized woods. What is a stabilized wood knife scale? Well, there are many definitions as to what is, and what is not "stabilized", but for our purposes, we generally use acrylic stabilized woods. In this process, dried wooden knife scales are placed into custom made chambers with a special acrylic polymer under extreme pressure for a length of time. When properly created in this way, stabilized wood knife scales are extremely durable and make for a great knife handle. During the stabilization process, we can also inject a dye, making for some very unique patterns.

 

It is important to note that not all stabilized woods are created equal. Along the way, we have worked with dozens of suppliers, some fantastic, and some…well, lets just say not so fantastic. Based on our past experiences and extensive testing, you can be assured of only the highest quality woods.

 

We usually pick some very unique wood pieces that are often highly figured. We love going through wood samples finding those perfect specimens that will make for beautiful and unique knives! Some of the most common knife scale woods we use include; desert ironwood, walnut burl, amboyna burl, black ash, spalted maple, redwood, snakewood, and cocobolo.

 

As with many things, the better quality woods can fetch a premium price. However, from the standpoint of value, they are worth the few extra dollars – especially on a knife that will likely be handed down from one generation to the next.

 

Mammoth Tooth

The most increasingly popular handle material we use is Mammoth Tooth knife scales. The main reason – they are absolutely beautiful!

 

Mammoth Tooth obviously comes from fossils. (Actually, not so obviously. The true story is that someone once asked Markus during an airport conversation if we actually hunted mammoth. How does one answer that question politely?!). Most of ours come from Siberia, with a lesser amount from North America. The tooth is then stabilized and cut into slabs (and stabilized a bit more). The tooth is comprised of "files" which create a very unique pattern, which varies depending upon the section of tooth and angle at which it is cut.

 

The various anatomical features of mammoth tooth make parts of it softer, and other parts are devilishly hard to cut and drill. This is part of the reason that mammoth tooth a challenge for the knifemaker. Special lapidary equipment is used to cut mammoth tooth into knife scales. Then, grinding and attaching to the knife requires additional skills and processes. Once properly attached, mammoth tooth is actually quite stable. Ask Markus which knife he prefers to take into the field on most of his hunts around the world, and you will see Mammoth tooth is usually his handle of choice (he's got a thing for fine knives paired with fine guns!) Mammoth tooth also has a very nice feel in the hand, and adds quite a bit of heft to the knife as well.

 

Many knifemakers do not offer mammoth tooth. This is understandable for a number of reasons (again, this is our humble opinion). First, they are best offered in high grade knives where the cost is not so much as a factor for the buyer. They are not cheap for us to purchase, and take longer to work than any other material we offer. Second, this is tough stuff to work with, requiring unique processes and skill sets to get the job done reliably. We would be lying if we said we didn't completely screw up quite a number of expensive handles when we first started with mammoth tooth! Third – Time. It takes a long time to work Mammoth Tooth correctly. Standard functions simply take longer. For example, we use special abrasives when grinding and sanding – all the while going slower to make sure we do not overheat the material. Additionally, we have to add steps to the knifemaking process (for example, we often use special liners between the Mammoth Tooth and the tang of the knife). Our processes for working with tooth is a bit of a secret, and while time consuming, the results are worth it.

 

The high cost of quality Mammoth Tooth in addition to the time factor adds to our costs, which of course increases the price of the knife – and it's value. But for the person who truly loves the look and feel of Mammoth Tooth, this additional cost may be small in comparison to the joy the knife brings throughout ones life. Hunters, picture yourself perhaps harvesting that once in a lifetime dream trophy and then grasping your well-used handmade knife, made of something which walked this earth thousands of years before – there is simply something special about that. It's the reward for all of the hard work.

 

Fossil Coral

Let's first start by stating that we do not harvest live corals which would jeopardize our natural resources. The coral used in our coral knife handles are made of fossil coral which is then cut and stabilized.

 

Each piece of coral is very unique, and different coral types and cuts make for different and interesting patterns. Coral is a natural material, and is a bit difficult to work - albeit not to the degree of tooth. Nevertheless, it takes a bit more experience and a bit more time to make a quality coral handle. More than one knifemaker has cursed coral after learning about its special grinding and cutting characteristics – the hard way (and we include ourselves).

 

Once the process is mastered, beautiful and durable knives can be made with Coral.

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Bone

Plain and simple – this material has been around for millennia, and there is good reason for it. To this day, bone makes a wonderful knife handle.

 

For a great elegant look, bone by itself makes for a simple, and classic look. Many of our customers have us add mosaic pins, and decorative inlays to really make the handle stand out.

 

Our most popular bone knife handles are giraffe leg bone. It is dense and features very nice character. We stabilize these handles as well, and offer them in a variety of shades.

 

Buffalo and camel bone also make excellent knife handles, and usually are in a traditional off-white shade.

 

Antler

Like bone, antler is a very traditional knife handle. We usually use stag antler for our knives. With that said, buyers should be cautious when purchasing stag antler knives since much of the "antler" on the market is either manufactured from synthetic materials of carved from bone.

 

At M.G. Muhlhauser & Sohne, we do not use these types of materials. We only use genuine stag antler. This may be a bit less uniform, and required more work, but the result is a natural knife which is unique. It should be noted that the light portion of stag handles will naturally take on a darker off-white shade over time. Therefore, if you see a brand new knife in our inventory, it may appear bright white, but will age naturally before long.

 

Mammoth Ivory

Mammoth Ivory knives are something to behold. They are a beautiful, natural expression of functional art. We are quite picky about our ivory, and like all natural materials, no two pieces are alike.

 

Mammoth ivory is still available, although some governments have proposed bans on the sales of all ivory products, regardless of whether they originate from elephant or mammoth. (The two can be distinguished by their grain structure, which should hopefully allow knife makers to continue to work with mammoth ivory).

 

A mammoth ivory knife works well in the field, and has a truly timeless look. Simple steps must be taken to care for any ivory. We recommend coating the ivory periodically with a natural oil or wax  from time to time in order to reduce the likelihood of cracking over time. Shallow cracks may form in the handle at times. Small cracks are regarded by some as aesthetically correct. It bothers others. However, if a larger or deeper crack occurs, it can often be repaired without issue. We have not had any returns or reported incidents with our mammoth ivory knives, but we felt we should mention the characteristics of this material. This is not meant to dissuade our customers from choosing this material, but should simply be a factor when deciding on a knife handle material.

 

At the end of the day, your mammoth ivory knife will earn you many compliments and will make for a fantastic long term com