Leather is definitely a no-no to me for a knife that is repeatedly used to prepare raw meat.  It really needs to be micarta.  As stated in an earlier post, when I cut meat, we were not allowed to use leather, wood, or stag handled knives due to health regulations.  As someone that has suffered through hepatitis A from contact with raw meat, I take the warnings seriously.
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Gary Howie
RKS# 274
RKCC# 495
Death tugs at my ear and says: "Live, I am coming."
--Oliver Wendell Holmes