I prefer wood, especially solid not laminated, to synthetic. They are much better looking and have a better feel. They may not be as durable but scratches are a sighn of use and they add character. Synthetic is also noisy, today while out hunting, i was crawling through some brush and a thorn scraped against it and not only left a mark but also made a loud noise and of cource i didnt see a thing all day. Then again it was raining so synthetic is nice in that situation.