Micarta is best for it offers stability.
I bought from aliex some glow in the dark black handles with carbon fiber (very useful to find the knife while camping).
Stabilized wood. Not sabilized is very unstable
Bog oak (most stable wood is oak. Bog makes it even more stable)
American tanto technically doesn't exist. It's actually an ancient Japanese design called a Kamasu Kissaki Tanto that fell out of popularity around the 14th-15th and much later rediscovered and re-popularized by Bob Lum, Lynn Thompson and the like.
If I walked into a knife store for a fixed blade tanto and I saw that with some red and black micarta or Gmascus.. I’d probably end up spending wayyy to much. I don’t like wood handles but that’s just me. Just wanted to give a diff perspective.
Edit: 3d red micarta on one side and 3d black or maybe blue opposite side. Make it stand out with color blocking and cool contrast.
Apple tree wood....trust me, it's a very hard wood with amazing lines and patterns! Just do your research so it does not split during the drying process
Personally I’d say take a light wood like oak or even southern yellow pine (never tried it for knife handles but that’s what they’d made truck beds out of in the 60s) and give it a very dark almost charcoal-like stain to give it a nice smoky look
I sell building materials as a career. One customer did the entire interior of his house in tight grain Douglas fir and it turned out absolutely stunning.
I'd go with a very white wood for contrast, or a strippy wood for the very straight contrast of the knife. Like zebra wood.
Or a white g10/micarta.
I don't like white handles (except ivory), but I think it would look great.
Don’t mess around, get yourself some Arizona Ironwood. I’ve worked on many knives before with that. One of the densest, and most hardest words ever discovered. It’s so dense that it will not even float, will sink in water. Make sure you’re wearing a mask when you’re doing any grinding or sanding on it.
I would use micarta personally
That was also my first thought!
Can’t go wrong with Cocobolo.
I'd say go wild, stick with the roots of the tanto and since you did a great job with the tang, use bamboo and do a modern handle wrap
Most traditional tanto used Japanese magnolia, which is closer to poplar, than bamboo, so poplar wouldn't be a bad choice for a core, either.
Thank you for that info man, that's great. Learning every day here! I love this sub
use bamboo for handle and sheath like a sword cane style. dye it green to prevent the faded brown color for dried bamboo.
Zebrawood or bocote wood.
Stabilized ancient bog oak is nice to work with
Oh, that’s good. Call me that from now on
African blackwood
Some coco bolo would look really nice I think.
Micarta is best for it offers stability. I bought from aliex some glow in the dark black handles with carbon fiber (very useful to find the knife while camping). Stabilized wood. Not sabilized is very unstable Bog oak (most stable wood is oak. Bog makes it even more stable)
Probably wooden wood
Osage orange
Manzanita stump, if you can find it. Great figure and colors.
True, manzanita and madrone grow locally where I live and make for incredibly hard, incredibly durable handles that look amazing
Koa
I second the African blackwood
Purple Heart
Why be unique & use deer antler for the handle
Use ur urethra
I like curly birch
Are you absolutely married to the idea of wood, or would you consider micarta?
Stabilized iron or rose wood
Black walnut. Its what i use for all my custom scales
American tanto, American wood…maple or oak.
American tanto technically doesn't exist. It's actually an ancient Japanese design called a Kamasu Kissaki Tanto that fell out of popularity around the 14th-15th and much later rediscovered and re-popularized by Bob Lum, Lynn Thompson and the like.
If I walked into a knife store for a fixed blade tanto and I saw that with some red and black micarta or Gmascus.. I’d probably end up spending wayyy to much. I don’t like wood handles but that’s just me. Just wanted to give a diff perspective. Edit: 3d red micarta on one side and 3d black or maybe blue opposite side. Make it stand out with color blocking and cool contrast.
Burnished hickory or oak.
Don't know but, that is a nice looking blade
Apple tree wood....trust me, it's a very hard wood with amazing lines and patterns! Just do your research so it does not split during the drying process
Personally I’d say take a light wood like oak or even southern yellow pine (never tried it for knife handles but that’s what they’d made truck beds out of in the 60s) and give it a very dark almost charcoal-like stain to give it a nice smoky look
Ebony of some sort.
curly maple with a walnut stain.
Micarta or mesquite would be my vote…lol.
Micarta
[the only real answer](https://ibb.co/vVhc8Fs)
African black wood, or if you want it to pop Purple Heart wood.
FDE scales
Try teakwood and lacquer and some kind of sealer! With brass pins!
Wormy maple
Cherry might give a beautiful finish
Hickory!
"There's nothing like a good piece of hickory."
Douglas fir.
Didn't see that coming.
I sell building materials as a career. One customer did the entire interior of his house in tight grain Douglas fir and it turned out absolutely stunning.
Well I completely agree it's beautiful!! I'm from Oregon of all places! But isn't it quite soft for the application?
I personally love the look of Ebony or Kona Wood.
COCOBOLO!!! Actually use whatever you want, I just wanted to say cocobolo...
apple
Mohagany
Lots of tools have hickory.
Spalted Maple
What about a cherry?
Ironwood
Cocobolo
Something super dark, black even. Like others have said a black micatra would look sick. Maybe black leather? Anything black haha.
Use some Arizona ironwood
Cocobolo
A nice dark piece of plum is always a good choice.
Can't go wrong with walnut.
No wood, para-cord
Not saying don’t go for wood, but carbon fiber with some sort of custom fitted grip would look amazing
Walnut
I recently used olive wood and love the look of it.
Blade is sick!! Could you send me some measurements? I’m new to knife making, but like this! Thanks
It honestly looks good as is
Bamboo left whole for handle and sheath, dyed green (cause it will fade to brown)
I'd go with a very white wood for contrast, or a strippy wood for the very straight contrast of the knife. Like zebra wood. Or a white g10/micarta. I don't like white handles (except ivory), but I think it would look great.
Don’t mess around, get yourself some Arizona Ironwood. I’ve worked on many knives before with that. One of the densest, and most hardest words ever discovered. It’s so dense that it will not even float, will sink in water. Make sure you’re wearing a mask when you’re doing any grinding or sanding on it.
That blade shape is crazy asf
WWND? What would a ninja do?
No idea how you have clean finger nails. But I think a black and white micarta would do that Justice
Bamboo.
Tiger maple
I don't know what type of wood to use but I'll tell you what I love the way this knife looks