Help me fix my knife making error!

[georann]

Bought a Brusletto knife making kit to make my first ever knife. It's a stick tang and comes with the blade, ferule, wood block, and sheath making supplies. Started shaping the handle and got it nearly there then realised the problem. I shaped the handle to be flush with the piece shaped for the ferule, but of course this means that the ferule stands proud of the wood when fitted DOH!
Anyone got any ideas how to rectify this (something to add to the handle to create an artistic transition from wood to metal perhaps?)

Thanks in advance
Dan

 

[mountainm]

Can you file and sand the ferrule?

 

[georann]

Its possible but I think the gap is about the same thickness as the ferule, plus I'd have to somehow polish it up afterwards.

 

[Gill]

can u post a pic?

 

[mountainm]

Micromesh would polish it fairly easily. But a new chunk of wood off Ebay will only set you back about eight quid. I wouldn't compromise unless you really have to. Then you can buy a new blade for the handle you have shaped.

 

[georann]

Ill post a pic tomorrow. Is there anything I could do to just shape the wood and do without a ferule instead?
Im not too bothered how this first one turns out, it was more of an experience in handle shapes and techniques, I plan to make a nice full tang next with some decent scales.

 

[brancho]

show us some pics and we can give some decent advice. Most things can be sorted. for instance if necessary you stand it in boiled water and and take it apart and sort the problem by rebuilding it.

Or have you not glued it together yet.

BTW stick tangs are much cooler than fulltangs IMO.

 

[georann]

Right here's some pics (taken with my phone so sorry for the quality).
Fortunately I haven't glued it together yet. As you can see, next to the ferule one side is flush (which is perfect), the top has more to come off, but the bottom and other side are too thin so there is a lip.

http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/6108/imag0239el.jpg
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3320/imag0244d.jpg
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8592/imag0243j.jpg
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/1163/imag0242x.jpg
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/4821/imag0241e.jpg
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/8580/imag0240yh.jpg

 

[Bundleman]

Is there enough wood near the top and side that you could shift it over? Then use a gap filling glue?

Or start again!

 

[Trunks]

What's it like if you rotate the ferrule 180 degrees?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hugo]

I would cut the top piece off and add a piece of dark wood to make it interesting, glued together and bobs your uncle.

 

[lannyman8]

as Hugo said, or just cut the very end off, you would loose about 3-4 mm of wood which wont change it all that much, then re-shape being more carefull...that would be the best way to do it, or you could use glue/resin with the sawdust from the wood and use it as a filler, it wont look the worlds best but it would do the job ok too...

best of luck with it mate.

regards.

chris.

 

[brancho]

I would have advised that the ferule was fitted before the hole for the blade was made
I will dig out some photos tomorrow to show what I would do. The ferules I have fiitted have been bigger than this.

How long is that piece of wood?

A handle should be between 100 and 120 mm depending on how you want it for a scandi knife

Just remembered look HERE

 

[georann]

Hiya all
There is not enough wood to move the ferule up and fill. It doesn't fit rotated 180 as it is not the same shape. The wooden block came sized (though square) with the blade hole already cut, but I have used the maximum material (It is just shy of 120mm long). Think I have covered all of your responses...
I do agree, adding another piece of wood might work though. What sort of material should I use? Dark wood of sorts?

Please keep the ideas coming guys!

ATB
Dan

 

[mountainm]

Fancy trying some buffalo horn? Let me know the dimensions if so and I'll see if I have anything suitable.

 

[Stew]

The only thing I could see as a solution for it would either be to start with a new piece of wood entirely or as suggested, chop the end off and fit another contrasting piece in place.

 

[georann]

Buffalo Horn could be an interesting idea! How hard is it to shape and drill? Leaving room for shaping, it would have to be 3x3x4cm Mountainm (thickness of handle x length along handle x height of handle).
I don't really want to have to start the whole thing again!
Dan

 

[mountainm]

It's not easy to work, but well worth the effort as the finish is stunning. Will have a route through and see what I have left.

 

[brancho]

Treat buffalo horn like wood and apart from the smell its not that hard to work IMO.

You can get away with 110 mm easily though. You could add the Buffalo horn at the fron of the knife which would look better IMO.

I could send you any numder of pieces of wood to use as a spacer to add length to the handle PM me if you want.

Whats probably more important is that the blade goes a little further into the handle.

 

[georann]

Yea I would like to keep the handle at its current length, rather than chopping the end of so a spacer is a good idea. If mountainm has a piece of horn I'd like to try that but very nice of you to offer brancho