Another natural material that is featured on the handles of many vintage pocket knives is mother of pearl.  Mother of pearl, or nacre, is harvested from the inside of certain mollusks, including pearl oysters, freshwater mussels, and abalone.  It’s function serves to protect the inside of the shells of these creatures from parasites and other irritants.  Mother of pearl is cut into slabs and added to the handles of pocket knives to give them a shiny, iridescent look.  Check out vintage pocket knives with bone and stag handles as well.

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