FWIW - I used a piece of antler for several reasons; I have several drops laying around, antler lends itself nicly to a more miitary-historical-casual/country look and it's already shaped properly to give the user a nice feel in his hand without having to do a lot of shaping and carving. For anyone who has a carving talent, sandwiching a tang between two pieces of wood and shaping that to fit the hand is also an option.

Anyone can go and google Antler and find many sources for pieces of antler.