"Chute Knife"

Hello, A few years ago I was lucky enough to obtain a Rick Browne "Chute Knife" Wow!!! It sure is a piece of proof that integrels are neat!! The question I have is that it has such tight tolerances with all of the pins in the handle,..... So what is the best material for integrels scales?? This Chute knife is Stag. But it seems to be affected by humidity. Are other natural materials questionable for handle materials with knifes that have tight tolerances??? Such as horn or mother of pearl??

Thanks, Jon

Any natural material will have a certain amount of problems. Micarta, G10, Carbon Fiber would be the safest bets. However, with the stabilizing processes available these days, I'd say it shouldn't be a problem. Stabilized giraffe bone is as stabil as a piece of granite, if you ask me. That Big Bear at the top of the SRJ Forum didn't change one iota in the 3-5 mo. I had it here.

Hi Again, Do most all of the natural materials for knife scales come in a "stablized" form??? Horn, shell, rock, various woods and other natural materiels. Anyway is this the resin method?? What other methods are used to make the materiels stable?? Just curious.

Thanks, JC

Generally the woods. You can send them, most natural materials, off to be stabilized. Som woods will not take the chemicals, since they're so oily already, such as blackwood, desert ironwood, etc.

Knife and Gun does it, WSSI also, I think Wild Woods will do it for you, but I'm not sure. I am not familiar with what process they all use. Possibly all different. MOP Co. stains stag and their treatment is oil based so that the stag is much more stable than before dyeing. Any other info. out there?

Jon,

Any chance of getting a photo of that Rick Browne 'Chute posted here. We had a big 'Chute discussion one time located at:

pub42.ezboard.com/fcustom...D=56.topic

It's called "The History of the 'Chute Knife." Of course that might be a matter of opinion, but it's one opinion at least. Rick' Browne's 'Chute is a part of that history, for sure.