How to tell between plastic vs horn ferrule?

[Keith Sinclair]

Horn is deff. cooler than plastic

 

[nutmeg]

there is a trick..

 

[panda]

Yes...its a feeling 'distinguished by touch' or something 'perceptible by touch' ...



This subtle feeling of grip is what you are paying for with horn,
just like you pay for the better heat-treatment on the steel,
because it has "better feeling" on the stones, etc

Plasticised (stabilized) wood handles are also very different feeling than natural wood,
IMHO all of those plasticisers similalry offer poor (low) tactile response/feeling.

this is why i hate stabilized handles. i like untreated wood handles only.

 

[ian]

Yes...its a feeling 'distinguished by touch' or something 'perceptible by touch' ...

My point was that "feeling more tactile" doesn't have any content. That's like saying "smells more olfactory" or "tastes more gustatorial". In contrast, feeling more grippy, or more slick, or more absorbent of sweat, or even just `more pleasant' (although that's subjective)... are statements with content.

 

[ian]

To get to the bottom of this, I just spent a few minutes fondling my horn. There's a distinct vertical grain in all of mine that imparts a security of grip against rotational movement, and which makes it more interesting to touch than plastic, even though it's just as shiny. Is that what you mean?

 

[Xenif]

Maybe Im a bit late to the game, but you can put some camelia seed (tsubiki) oil on the horn and it will absorb it and the plastic wont, and just sits on top

 

[Corradobrit1]

Maybe Im a bit late to the game, but you can put some camelia seed (tsubiki) oil on the horn and it will absorb it and the plastic wont, and just sits on top

Interesting. Would you recommend doing that as part of a maintenance regimen?

 

[Barmoley]

You guys are overthinking this. You can use all sorts of materials for furrels. It can be horn, antler, bone, wood, micarta, g10, carbon fiber, metal, the list goes on. When done well, any of it can work. The plastic you seem to talk about is the cheap crappy type that is used to save cost a little. There are a million types of different plastics and composites many can have texture and are grippy. Many horn furels I have are very smooth and I don't feel any texture. On the other hand I have a few handles by Kip with g10, I believe, and they feel very good.

Lately I really like just a single piece of wood. When it is a single piece of wood, it moves the same with different temperatures and moisture levels, so you never get steps or any other weird deformations. For outdoor knives micarta when not very smooth is excellent. Also, in kitchen knives since most use pinch grip most of the time, how much of a handle are you holding to? To me the best handles are the ones I can hardly feel, if I notice a handle it is usually because there is something wrong with it, the good ones sort of disappear.

Besides, @panda already put this question to rest, all you have to do is just lick it to know for sure.

 

[bahamaroot]

...I just spent a few minutes fondling my horn...

This could lead to compulsive behaviours.

 

[HRC_64]

My point was that "feeling more tactile" doesn't have any content.

Here's a blog post to explain english grammar of the word "tactile"
http://www.brahmsmount.com/blog/what-does-tactile-mean/

 

[Kippington]

This thread is so strange... I love it!

 

[refcast]

never thought i'd see brahms mount mentioned here. yeah their blankets are pretty good. they do have that 3d texture to them.

 

[Dendrobatez]

Can usually dent the plastic with your nail, the horn is a bit harder, you can sand it slightly and smell it - plastic doesn't have much odor unless burned and horn always smells like crap. Plastic will be slippery when wet too. Composites like g10, micarta, and carbon fiber don't seem to have this problem so much and I think it's due to the layers of material.
Honestly though if it feels good for the task, does it matter?

 

[kayman67]

Is there any difference in long-term durability between the two?

Not that I was able to see in a 5 years time frame of daily use. But "plastic" is as general term as it could be.

 

[Xenif]

This could lead to compulsive behaviours.

This forum is the dark corner of the internet that promotes compulsive behaviours of all kinds, thats why we are all here no?

 

[NO ChoP!]

Plastic is usually shiney and completely opaque. Horn has a deeper, duller, yet more luminous look. Also horn handles look like they were finished with the wood, as an entire handle. Plastic looks like it was finished and then installed on the wood.

Also, there are some really good faux horn materials out there. Infact, I have seen quite a bit of it on ebony handles coming direct from Japanese makers lately. I am a fan of the resin rolls from Woodcraft. They are lusterous with lots of color and waves.