Stacked leather Puukko

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Toots

Full Member
Aug 22, 2005
575
41
Sutton in Craven, North Yorkshire
Just a quick question for the collective mind.
What's the best glue to use between leather "washers" for a stacked leather Puukko handle?
I'm thinking a smear of slow set epoxy but am open to better suggestions.
Cheers all.
Rik.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
If tang is thin and flexible:
Flexible epoxy, handle stiffened by inserting two S/s ( roughened surface) rods in predrilled holes in leather
Tang thicker, non flexible: Hard epoxy.

I try to have a gap of 1/2 to 1mm all around for the hard epoxy too.

I always roughen up the smooth side of the leather.
 

Dave Budd

Gold Trader
Staff member
Jan 8, 2006
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Dartmoor (Devon)
www.davebudd.com
I use slow setting epoxy (I always do anyway, but it's a good idea for stacked handles to give you some time!). Flexibility isn't an issue really as the layers will be stuck together as a single block on the tang and if you can, try to get as much compression from the butt as possible. The compression makes it more rigid and dense in cases where your leather is a little soft.

The main reason to use glue at all is to fill the void between tang and leather so that the pieces don't rotate in use, though obviously gluing one bit to it's neighbours helps with that too. Kabar knives and Estwing axes are both stacked leather handles and neither use glue at all, they just rely on a great amount of compression to prevent any movement of the pieces ;)
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,691
710
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I have a few Estwing hammers and as said they dont use glue at all but the hammer tang is sort of figure of eight shape in cross section so the washers dont rotate in use.
I keep seeing people use superglue to "seal any tiny holes in the leather" which as a longtime estwing hammer user I'm not right keen on. Seems a shame to basically end up with a plastic handle to me.
I have however put a few coats of Danish oil on my Estwing so maybe it amounts to the same thing.

Oh and when new Estwing leather washers are slathered in some of the worst varnish I've seen, I sand that crap right off cos it cracks and looks manky in no time.

Ive used leather washer Estwings for the last 20 years, every working day and the only washers that break and cause problems on them are the few plastic washers they put in for the black and white sections.

I have one from at least the 1950s (before they used a few placky washers) and its a belter, still in great shape.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I 'fixed up' an old KaBar a couple of years go. The thick plate at the end of the handle was hugely helpful in compressing and keeping compressed, the leather discs.



On one of my recent knife builts, I tried to make a thinnish bronze end disk, and insert a pin behind it to keep everything compressed.
But when I wetted the leather ( I am stupid) the leather swelled up and bent the pin and bronze disk.


Leather is a fantastic handle material. Very grippy, even when oiled.

Once I used slowsettting epoxy, with thin leather disks, and soaked the disks in the epoxy before mounting.
I was not happy with the feel, or look. Took it off.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,691
710
-------------
Not sure if this picture will show but Picard stacked leather handles are done slightly different, with a threaded adjuster you can tighten up.
s-l400.jpg
 
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