Saturday, December 12, 2009

What Material Are Bowie Knife Handles?

By Dylan Sabot

Choosing bowie knives from the plethora of designs and construction materials on the market today can be quite confusing. You'll need to choose the right blade material, as well as the right blade size. However, you will also need to know what type of material you want in the handle. Bowie knives feature a number of materials used for handle creation and each offers unique benefits (as well as costs). What are your options?

Wood - Wood is the traditional choice for bowie knife handles. You might find that the knife you like offers a solid wood handle, though most feature two wood "scales" or halves joined with rivets and other hardware. The hardware might be made of brass, silver or steel, depending on the model that you choose. Some popular woods used for bowie knife handles include walnut, cocobolo, oak and much more.Wood can be shaped easily, so that it has any type of style desired, or it can be made to resemble other materials.

Another type of material that you can choose for your bowie knife handle is wood. This is probably the most popular type of material used, as it's inexpensive, widely available and stunningly beautiful. Wood can be carved and shaped, patterned, stained any number of colors and can provide a unique handle for your bowie knife. You will also find any number of different types of wood available in these knives, giving you the greatest range of options possible.

Other options for handle material include plastics, composites, bone and even linen (hardened with a special manufacturing process). Each of these offers unique benefits, whether that be cost reduction, lighter weight or even longer lasting durability. Bone, in particular, is ideal for any bowie knife that you might want to display, as well as for those knives that will actually see use in the real world. However, before you can choose any of these materials, you should know what you want in a handle, as well as what to look for under the handle.

Leather - Leather wrapped handles are also quite popular. Usually, a piece (or several pieces) of high quality leather will be wrapped over a wood or steel handle. The leather used might be any color, ranging from black to blue and all the colors in between. You will also find numerous different types of leather offered, from standard cowhide to more exotic options, as well.

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