Well...Crew:
We've run aground and astray, getting ahead of ourselves, once again. The request was to talk about "hilts" and your arguement for or against one or the other. Instead we have moved farther towards the read end of this knife and talked about butt caps, plates, engraving and the like...(ugh)! Here's what I have deciphered, thus far. Top 3 choices "seem" to be:
A) Nickel silver/ FCH
B) Nickel silver #1 (or #2, same thing) shape
C) Nickel silver #14 (or #18, same thing)
No special request or defense of the single hilts, although they are bomb,,,they're "out the door" for this build anyway.
.................ROLL CALL VOTE..............Vote for "1":
A) FCH
B) #1 style hilt
C) #14 style hilt

Just a "FYI". #1 hilts and no butt caps greatly reduces the over all weight, verses the other 2. FCH leaves more room for your hand on the handle..."BUT"...(You "knew" it was coming)...the handle on a #12-9" is long enough anyway?? They'll all look dynamite, just depends on your taste. I'll give this through the weekend, then the vote gets tallied and we move onward (& backwards) toward the butt end.
Thanks, Capt. Chris
PS: Please only vote for one choice...CCS