As anyone any tips or info websites to make leather handles (like on estwing hammers or old scout sheath knives) I got lots of thick old leather from clogges and it would be a good recycle.
Thanks lads
Thanks lads
leather handles
- Thread starter mr dazzler
- Start date
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I wouldnt recommend leather knife handles MrDaz unless you never intend to field butcher anything as these are hard to keep sterile.
Just a thought.
What sort of leather do you have? Possible pouch leather, mocassins?
Just a thought.
What sort of leather do you have? Possible pouch leather, mocassins?
hi daz,
for stacked leather .. make sure it's veg tanned!! .. (haven't done it yet but i've read a bit about it) you need to damp it and compress it, once compressed you can take it apart again and use epoxy between the layers prior to compressing it again ... some kind of nut assembly on the tang to hold the leather compressed ... and then you can coat with a semi flexible infusion epoxy and it should be fine using it with food (although i know a traditionalist or 2 that say just wax)
the Estwing hammers have a horrible coating on them .. I think it's polyester .. been meaning to sand mine off and recoat with epoxy
for stacked leather .. make sure it's veg tanned!! .. (haven't done it yet but i've read a bit about it) you need to damp it and compress it, once compressed you can take it apart again and use epoxy between the layers prior to compressing it again ... some kind of nut assembly on the tang to hold the leather compressed ... and then you can coat with a semi flexible infusion epoxy and it should be fine using it with food (although i know a traditionalist or 2 that say just wax)
the Estwing hammers have a horrible coating on them .. I think it's polyester .. been meaning to sand mine off and recoat with epoxy
Gary said:
Interesting.
I've never really been a fan of leather handles (mainly because I love wood) but having had Falkniven's Idun Hunter in my hand I'm very impressed. The leather seems to be well sealed, it's attactive and seems pretty darn solid.
I'm guessing that as Falkniven market this as a hunter, it should be ok to use for butchering in field.
I dare say so Stew - the problem comes with age mind you. New knifes, leather handles and such are all treated and polished ect - with age this protective coating will wear, crack, weather ect ect and it is then that the dangers appear.
Also most sports hunters arent living in the field so their knife would generally be used to butcher or grollick and then they'd go home. With a bushcraft knife it may be in the field a day or a week and if the later it will need to be throughly cleaned and washed in the field.
Finally, unless MrDazzler has the means to seal his leather like Fallkniven or K-bar do it would be sort of defeating the object to start with, or fore warned is fore armed!
Also most sports hunters arent living in the field so their knife would generally be used to butcher or grollick and then they'd go home. With a bushcraft knife it may be in the field a day or a week and if the later it will need to be throughly cleaned and washed in the field.
Finally, unless MrDazzler has the means to seal his leather like Fallkniven or K-bar do it would be sort of defeating the object to start with, or fore warned is fore armed!
the leather I have is thick clog leather and an old "bullet proof" briefcase
Doesn't have to be hygiene cos I'd try to make a billhook handle in the italienn style.
My best hook in its worn state had a wrapped leather handle that was too far gone (replaced that with ash wood one)
Thanks for pointers
Mr D
Doesn't have to be hygiene cos I'd try to make a billhook handle in the italienn style.
My best hook in its worn state had a wrapped leather handle that was too far gone (replaced that with ash wood one)
Thanks for pointers
Mr D
Hey Daz,
if you want the look but to use wood ... I have a large amount of off cuts of 30mm SOLID beech plywood . that could be stacked in a similar way
if you want the look but to use wood ... I have a large amount of off cuts of 30mm SOLID beech plywood . that could be stacked in a similar way
Gary said:
Hhhm, good point.
Simon said:
What about birch bark? Looks very similar to leather in style (but better IMHO). Does it have the same hygiene issues as with leather? I suppose it does really. Shame.
No, Birch bark would have the same properties as wood (as well as its own oils ect) and as such is cleanable and also resistant to bacterial growth.
Just done a stacked leather in pretty much the same way Simon says for a KITH knife over on BB. It's come up as a good hard handle and treated with some specialist leather wax seems to have taken a pretty much impervious finish. Feels pretty much like polished wood as well but not quite as cold to the touch. Hope whoever wins it likes it!
Cheers
David
Cheers
David
looking forward to seeing it david ... who knows... might be mine 
... just got to oil my sheath and it's done ... (please don't read anything unintended in to that last comment 
)
... just got to oil my sheath and it's done ... (please don't read anything unintended in to that last comment ) Thanks for the offer Simon, but I want to do a leather one as I thought well thats what the Italinne workmen used for 1000's of years, cant be all bad, I'll give it a try.
Talking of ply, birch ply could look nice in that laminated style. I normally get it from furniture more than 30 year old from the council tip or whatever (before bloody mdf took over) I think its £70+ a sheet.
I like working with birch ply cos yer doant gett splynteres wythe itte. :roll:
MR DAZ :wave:
Talking of ply, birch ply could look nice in that laminated style. I normally get it from furniture more than 30 year old from the council tip or whatever (before bloody mdf took over) I think its £70+ a sheet.
I like working with birch ply cos yer doant gett splynteres wythe itte. :roll:
MR DAZ :wave:
the beech ply is over £150 a sheet for 30mm :yikes: .. but it is solid beech .. I have loads of it and always looking to off load a few bits .. postage only ..... far better quality than any birch ply i have used .. they got through about 80 sheets of the stuff at work and I collected up as much of the off cuts as I could manage to carry home on the train
Tantalus and Espy and a few others from BB got some and can vouch for the quality . but I've still got a shelf full of the stuff to unload
Tantalus and Espy and a few others from BB got some and can vouch for the quality . but I've still got a shelf full of the stuff to unload
Yet another thread dragged, kicking and screaming into the light 
Hell, I am looking at old threads so this will happen a few more time before I am upto date
You should be able to get leather washers from HERE.
I have owned a leather washer handled Estwing hammer for years and years, during that time it has been dropped from a scaffold a couple of times (about 30 feet), dropped down a concrete shaft into two foot of water while I was making shutters for a sewage farm in Bassenthwaite village, used up on roofs in the pissing rain/sleet/snow and been worn on my hammer loop for 50 (average hours) per week.
Its also hammered in a few nails and pulled the odd one out battered plaster out of the way cos plasterers never seem to get the bottom sections of walls (the bit I fit skirtings to) right, and used with a bolster chisel to cut bricks.
In all that time I have had to peen over the rivets on the end twice to stop the handle rattling and finally the handle has got to the point where I thought it warrented a replacement hammer (the plastic washers
cracked and are coming away).
I prefer the idea of having a nut that you can tighten up if it gets loose but leather washered handles have been fine on site for me for years
One good thing about then is they are quite distinctive so don't get "borrowed" as often.
Hell, I am looking at old threads so this will happen a few more time before I am upto date
You should be able to get leather washers from HERE.
I have owned a leather washer handled Estwing hammer for years and years, during that time it has been dropped from a scaffold a couple of times (about 30 feet), dropped down a concrete shaft into two foot of water while I was making shutters for a sewage farm in Bassenthwaite village, used up on roofs in the pissing rain/sleet/snow and been worn on my hammer loop for 50 (average hours) per week.
Its also hammered in a few nails
and pulled the odd one out battered plaster out of the way cos plasterers never seem to get the bottom sections of walls (the bit I fit skirtings to) right, and used with a bolster chisel to cut bricks.In all that time I have had to peen over the rivets on the end twice to stop the handle rattling and finally the handle has got to the point where I thought it warrented a replacement hammer (the plastic washers
cracked and are coming away).I prefer the idea of having a nut that you can tighten up if it gets loose but leather washered handles have been fine on site for me for years
One good thing about then is they are quite distinctive so don't get "borrowed"
as often.I may be accused of being a superglue freak, but here goes...
I have soaked old Kabars, Estwing axes, and other asssorted leather washer handles...in superglue.
Pour in on the leather, let dry for an hour or so, and repeat, till it feels solid. Takes anywhere from 6 to maybe 15 coats. It soaks in, and eventually you will have a solid handle. Rub 0000 steel wool in small circles all over the handle, and you will be rewarded by a matt finish solid handle, ready for anything. The purists will cringe, but it works!
I have soaked old Kabars, Estwing axes, and other asssorted leather washer handles...in superglue.
Pour in on the leather, let dry for an hour or so, and repeat, till it feels solid. Takes anywhere from 6 to maybe 15 coats. It soaks in, and eventually you will have a solid handle. Rub 0000 steel wool in small circles all over the handle, and you will be rewarded by a matt finish solid handle, ready for anything. The purists will cringe, but it works!
ChrisKavanaugh
Need to contact Admin...
A modern knife with the latest wonder steel, a kraton handle with a nice tacky grip and a kydex sheath is a great piece of kit. The thing is near impervious to the environment. A knife forged from a Mercedes leaf spring, handled with local wood or leather and sheathed in wood or leather is anything but impervious. Yet our second knife is still very close in appearance to the clime seeking to reconcile the steel to red oxide, wood and leather to organic material. One of my nocturnal acivities is 'dumpster diving' or recovering plastic, aluminum and glass containers from dustbins for recycling and a modest increase in income. The plastic goes to China, is recycled one time and one time only into other consumer goods that do not get recycled. We are leaving an occupational midden of petro chemical junk that shames the ancient shell middens. I love my fallkniven. But I look at my puukko with stacked birch handle, leather sheath,carbon blade and feel a little better about bagging all those plastic water and soda pop bottles. 
I know this is an old thread but I've got to reply. Actually most hunters do live in the field. An average deer camp is one or two weeks while a bear hunt is longer. Mountain lion or mountain sheep camps are several weeks as are elk hunts. Certainly these are the shorter hunts as anyone going for more exotic game would need to go to Africa for a lengthy safari. Also hunting knives not only do the normal camp chores but then get soaked in blood as they cut through bone and guts when quartering game as well. All in all they take a good bit of steady use and abuse.
Here's a tutorial for leather handled knives. They are very comfortable and I think they are good looking too.
https://www.brisa.fi/portal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=15
https://www.brisa.fi/portal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=15
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