'Scales', or 'knife scales', is the term used to deonote the thin, shaped pieces of wood, plastic, or other material that are pinned or otherwise attached to either side of the knife's tang to form the handle. Specifically, the term scales can only really be used on knives which have a tang in the profile of the handle that runs all of the way to the pommel, and thus the handle material is applied parrallel to the blade.

Hidden tang style grips do not use the word scales in the same manner. For a hidden tang construction, scales would refer to the slivers of wood, brass, leather or micarta etc. that are used to form the overall length of the handle. This method stacking material perpendicular to the blade.