Making a knife handle
- Thread starter Chrs
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Chrs,
Im certainly no expert but;
You can make knife handles out of most anything, generally antler bone and wood are used with spacers of birch bark of leather if they are what i call compound handles (dont know the propper term), ie blocks of different things stuck (epoxy resin) to the tang and then shaped - these are what i have made a few of.
You can also experiment with the grain directions to get different effects so dont feel you have to constrain yourself to grain following the line of the tang.
Obviously softwoods are softer and may get dinked more easily hard woods are harder to shape but have better longevity.
I have bits i have salvaged and let dry (oak, birch and cherry) some old fence posts, some spalted birch - damaged wood can have interesting patterns.
Bufallo horn looks good as does antler, particularly at top and bottom.
Ive used a few Helle blades and they are rather nice but often very broad and make slightly bruteish knives - not for whittling, although this does depend on the type of course!
I dont have a huge stockpile but am hapy to share bits around - i do have some spare epoxy resin i bought a few in a good deal.
Feel free to let me know if your anywhere near cambridge I can bring some bits for you to see. Ah minesota, i see that may be less usefull. lol
Also i have heard of very dense woods coming from roots - never tried it but this may be interesting. If you cut soemthing green cut it down to blocks and make sure it has shrunk completely before using!
Also search the forums here there are lots of how to's
Im certainly no expert but;
You can make knife handles out of most anything, generally antler bone and wood are used with spacers of birch bark of leather if they are what i call compound handles (dont know the propper term), ie blocks of different things stuck (epoxy resin) to the tang and then shaped - these are what i have made a few of.
You can also experiment with the grain directions to get different effects so dont feel you have to constrain yourself to grain following the line of the tang.
Obviously softwoods are softer and may get dinked more easily hard woods are harder to shape but have better longevity.
I have bits i have salvaged and let dry (oak, birch and cherry) some old fence posts, some spalted birch - damaged wood can have interesting patterns.
Bufallo horn looks good as does antler, particularly at top and bottom.
Ive used a few Helle blades and they are rather nice but often very broad and make slightly bruteish knives - not for whittling, although this does depend on the type of course!
I dont have a huge stockpile but am hapy to share bits around - i do have some spare epoxy resin i bought a few in a good deal.
Feel free to let me know if your anywhere near cambridge I can bring some bits for you to see. Ah minesota, i see that may be less usefull. lol
Also i have heard of very dense woods coming from roots - never tried it but this may be interesting. If you cut soemthing green cut it down to blocks and make sure it has shrunk completely before using!
Also search the forums here there are lots of how to's
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The handles are cheap to make unless you wish to purchase 'special' bits.
Brass rods (if you use them) are about £1.25 here for enough to make 10 knives (ok maybe 5).
Horn is suprisingly cheap, personally i would 'find' most of the stuff, its more satifying that way.
Fruit woods work particularly well.
Sounds like you are planning scales rather than stick tang - so some of my comments might not be quite as relevent
Enjoy, you might find it addictive.
Brass rods (if you use them) are about £1.25 here for enough to make 10 knives (ok maybe 5).
Horn is suprisingly cheap, personally i would 'find' most of the stuff, its more satifying that way.
Fruit woods work particularly well.
Sounds like you are planning scales rather than stick tang - so some of my comments might not be quite as relevent
Enjoy, you might find it addictive.
you should be able to get knife scales on ebay mate.
then it is a simple case of attaching them. no dramas really.
andy
then it is a simple case of attaching them. no dramas really.
andy
Whittler Kev
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Search British Blades for scales made from Jeans - There real nice, or search on there or here for re-handling a blade.
If your using wood make sure it's real dry and seasoned so it doesn't warp or crack.
Bits from old chairs and sofa's are good as they are long, long, time seasoned at house temperatures
If your using wood make sure it's real dry and seasoned so it doesn't warp or crack.
Bits from old chairs and sofa's are good as they are long, long, time seasoned at house temperatures
There are several internet locations that give detailed directions as to how to install scales onto a knife blank. I strongly urge you to look these up and read them prior to doing anything. I scaled an EnZo trapper blade that I bought. It was a first time project. Had I not read up on how to do it, there were several things that I would have done wrong. Save yourself some grief and find out EXACTLY how to do it first. Coincidentally, my knife came out beautiful. On my own, with what little I knew, I would undoubtedly would have had to just buy new scales and start over.
If you have doubts about how well seasoned your wood is you can soak it in hardener to stabilise it.
Whittler Kev
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Remember to get that work/life balance going (it took be 9 years to say *#~~#&^! to it all at the end of the school day)
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