While attempting to stay within the tradition of Scandinavian knives when choosing materials, I make an effort to assemble those materials into as functional a knife as possible. I try to keep the use of synthetic handle components to a minimum; however, I do use modern adhesives and threaded tang nuts to make the blade/handle bond secure. Likewise, the sheath liners are made of aircraft grade plywood for strength, and the leather is treated with modern wax-type waterproofing. These materials and techniques result in a high level of durability without unduly compromising the traditional feel of the knives.

Blades
My intent is to make moderately priced "working" knives, so I usually use factory-made blades. Most of the blades come from Scandinavian companies that have been in business for generations. The designs and materials are a fusion of traditional values and modern innovation. Automated factories create blades with a very favorable cost-to-quality ratio. Many of the blades are of laminated construction with a core of very hard steel sandwiched between supporting layers of more malleable steel. Most of the kitchen knives have high quality Asian blades. All kitchen knife blades are compared to name-brand kitchen cutlery for edge retention and corrosion resistance before being accepted for use.

Handle Materials
Most handles are predominantly of wood which has been very well seasoned for a minimum of 5 years. The woods I use are mostly boreal and temperate hardwoods such as birch, ash, walnut, yew, madrone, hickory/pecan, mesquite, Osage orange, etc. A few more exotic and tropical woods like rosewood and bocote make their way into some knives. Most knives have antler bolsters. I generally use Axis deer antler as a substitute for the traditional reindeer antler. Axis deer antler is very similar in appearance, more readily available and actually superior in terms of density. Some moose, caribou and Sika deer antler are also used. All antlers come from commercial sources and are either natural sheds or from domesticated stock. None of the antlers used is from game animals resident in California. Documentation of the source of all antler material is kept on file. The horn I use is also commercially obtained from Asian water buffalo. Other handle materials (used mostly for spacers) are: "vulcanized fiber", a chemically bonded natural fiber in several colors, various metals (most often lead-free pewter), and a phenolic laminate material generally called "bakelite". Some knives have amber spacers. This is "composite" amber, made from pulverized amber bound with polymer resin. The finished handles are soaked in a low-viscosity raw tung oil solution for several days. Tung oil is a naturally "hardening" (polymerizing) oil, and is non-toxic after curing. (It is used on salad bowls!)

Sheaths
The outdoor and filet knives have sheaths that I make from top-grain vegetable-tanned leather. Each sheath has a wooden liner made of aircraft grade Finnish plywood. The leather is individually wet-formed over the knife and liner, and then handstitched. Kitchen knives have a wooden blade guard with a neodymium magnet that holds the blade securely in place.

Note: With these natural materials there is often considerable variation in color and texture within a single piece. The variation in appearance of materials from different sources is even greater, so this chart can only be regarded as very approximate.

Note: California law prohibits commerce in game animal parts from animals resident in California, regardless of the actual source of the material. For this reason elk, mule deer and blacktail deer antlers are not used for Isbjörn knives. Deer, moose and caribou shed their antlers annually. These naturally shed antlers are the source of the antler used in Isbjörn knives.