Best handle ever?

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RiffRaff

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Of all the beautiful handles I've used (Phil Wilson's stag, Bill Burke's musk ox, Michael Rader's koa/mammoth, Stephan's koa/blonde horn and his blue bakelite), and much as I hate to admit it. . .

IMG_2740.jpg

I still like my Fribrox. Sure grip, feels great, no matter how wet or how greasy. Fits snug in the hand, surprisingly ergonomic, semi-bird's beak and ugly as a dead pigeon.

Can someone please tell me why no one else, not even the hallowed craftsmen on this site, puts a handle like this on some great, heat-treated steel (and I'm not counting Butch's rainbow micarta)? I'm talkin' 'bout stuff that's softer and gripp-ier than G-10 or linen micarta combined.

IMG_2741.jpg
 
It'd be too easy, though you liking it so much, got me interested to take a look at it.
 
It limits your grips. I've had knives with similar handles but they tend to be best for hardcore work.
 
It'd be too easy, though you liking it so much, got me interested to take a look at it.

I was just googling for fibrox material myself ;) After having to recover a moment from falling behind the ugly 'dead pigeon' in J.'s ranking ;)

Stefan
 
I hate that stuff. Natural-ish materials are my favorite.
If it's plastic or anything even resembling plastic/resin/rubbery-stuff, I'm takin' it off.
 
Is it mostly the grippiness that you like so much?

I just hate looking at it... :(

(First thought when I read the title was Rader)
 
No offense intended, Stefan.

Just kidding. I don't have much experience with finishing micarta, but with the few pieces I worked with from Butch I thought if they are not sanded too high and don't get any glue or other finish applied to them, they should be quite grippy, probably more that Fibrox. But the shape of the Victorinox handles clearly doesn't do it for me (although, admittedly, it may be 20 years ago that I last use done).

Stefan
 
I kinda agree with the OP. it feels good, and its stays secure when things get wet, but it does limit your grip options. If someone did a D or octagon I'd try it. I love mine for fish when things have to get wet, but wish I had more grip options then pinch. Anyone know what plastic they use?
 
Sure I like the grip of My Victorinox and Forschener but I prefer natural materials..

It would be interesting too see this shape in other materials and maybe even modified (i would make it thinner among others).

It also limits my pinch, obstructs my middle finger to the side a bit and it obstructs sharping. :nono:

besides its ******-ugly!
 
i've read rave reviews of the handle on hattori FH. most comfortable western handle they ever had on a knife they said.

Burnt chestnut is a great wa alternative for good grip....

i read that as well
 
Nogent ebony block...somewhere in-between a western and a wa handle. Feels perfect. I like fibrox handles too, they really are ugly though.
 
What's the stuff Salty was using on his handles? I remember seeing a bunch of his knives were coated black with something, or something like that.

Looked pretty simple and cool, actually.
 
You're missing the Devin Thomas brushed Wenge. Great looking and textured.
 
Is it mostly the grippiness that you like so much?

I just hate looking at it... :(

(First thought when I read the title was Rader)

Ha! I thought the exact same thing. Seriously though, someday people are going to read that and think "Nguyen" - yours is one of the only "radical" looking designs that actually "works".

I never liked the fibrox handles much. Too overly "ergo" and limited in grip options as Salty pointed out. Plus, that material just always feels dirty to me: like I'm holding someone's old croc sandal (or a dead pigeon).

I remember an old video Salty did on his "murdered out" black handle finish, but I think it was one of the casualties of the great deleting of '09 (or whenever it was that he nuked his uploads).
 
Yeah, it's the grippiness and the comfort over the long haul, as Salty pointed out. Could't pull the thing out of your hand with a tractor. Way better than ho-wood.

But in agreement with everyone else, Man Does Not Live By Grip Alone, and sure, I also love handles that are beautiful to look at, on the counter or on a magnetic rack, as long as they're servicable.

Yet. . . for the fraction of pennies it must cost them to make Fibrox, well, Marko, maybe you *should* offer it as an option!
 
Sabatier Nogent has the best handle. You have to use one to believe it.

-AJ
 
Like this one?

nogent_6in_slicer.jpg


What makes it work so well?



EDIT: While searching for that I found this:

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D: Marko. Octagonal: Marko and Devin. Western: Bill Burke and Twistington rehandled Yosihide.
 
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I hadn't anticipated a beauty contest since my original post was about a favorite ugly duckling. But I couldn't resist showing a few more of the beauts my lowly Forschner Fibrox has to compete with including (left to right)

Daniel O'Malley's quilted redwood on a Hattori KD 150 petty, O'Malley's snakewood/synthetic on Carter nakiri, O'Malley spalted maple/black horn on a Shig santoku, "Heavin Forge" warthog tusk/ebony on a 210 German-style damscus chef, O'Malley afzalia burl on a 240 Hattori KD, and an Isaiah Schroeder zebrawood (very good grip, not too polished) on a Heiji stainless 240
 
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