Making a knife handle

[Joel_m]

Looking for a little advice/experience...

I've recently taken up whittling and carving and really enjoying it as a pass time. I have done a few spoons, spatula, wooden butter knife that sort of thing and was thinking I might try a knife handle for my next project.

So looking through posts on here I started looking at buying a blade, as this is my first ever attempt I am only going to buy something cheap in the £10-£15 range Polar, Mora, Brusletto something like that.

I don't know a huge amount about blade manufacturers and as its the project of making the handle more than anything it doesn't need to be able to cut down an oak tree and still be sharp enough to skin a blue whale after! Although I do want it to be usable assuming I don't mess up the handle of course...

Looking at various blades (forgive me my anatomy of knife parts isn't great) but where the blade finishes and the tang begins, the end (shoulder?) of the blade on some looks really uneven .. I don't have much in the way of metal working tools so will this cause a problem when fitting the bolster/guard before the wood handle?
Also does it vary from blade to blade or maker to maker (ie are some more consistent and better for beginners)? I guess I can pick up a cheap needle file or something if it is just small adjustments.

I did think about buying a kit but quite wanted to do it as cheap as possible buy picking up some wood in the local woodland.

Last question... (Sorry for all of these) can I just glue the handle on or does it have to have a bolster with the end of the tang hammered to rivet it on?

Sorry if these seem quite naive questions but thought if I ask the stupid questions up front! It might stop me ordering stuff that isn't suitable a nightmare to use or that I don't need!

thanks!

 

[HillBill]

I presume you are only looking at stick tangs?

The shoulders can be levelled off with a file easily enough. If you don't have any, get yourself to a car boot sale. There will always be old files there and can be had cheap. I got 5 old sheffield files for a quid last time i went. The blades you listed will be ok.


Yep you can just glue the handle on of your not bothered about it looking messy. Bolsters are there to tidy that area up and add a bit of strength to the area. It doesnt need to be riveted on. A pin through the wood/steel would be as strong, or neither if you like and it should still be ok.

 

[Joel_m]

Hi thanks for the advice!

I was only looking at stick tangs as I wanted to carve the handle to my own shape (which looks harder with full tang as I'm guessing you have to file and reshape the tang metal too).

I was thinking to the end of the handle with just the carved wood so the tang isn't visible at all. But was worried that if I didn't put a bolster(?) on and hammer the end of the tang over it might not be strong enough?
I would like it to look neat and well finished (I'm a bit retentive like that) lol.

EDIT: Wow HillBill just looked at some of your knives and if create anything that looks even remotely close I'll be a very happy camper! I think this might be harder than I thought.. Still we all have to start somewhere I guess!

 

[juttle]

It's really not that hard at all, just remember to take your time. When you get to a bit that has you scratching your head and not knowing where to go next, just walk away for a while and try it again later - works for me, anyway!

If you're looking to buy a stick tang blade, you won't go far wrong with the Polar range, good price, fantastic edge, and their blades have decent shoulders that you can fit a bolster to, unlike the Lauri range that are perfectly decent blades, but do have a bit of a strange grind that makes fitting a bolster awkard!

Just remember, take your time, and you'll end up with a knife that'll stay with you forever, or at least, nearly!

You always remember the first knife you make!

Enjoy it!

 

[brancho]

The blades you suggest are all good.
I glue (use epoxy) mine and they are fine but I have riveted some.
Factory bolsters are easy to fit look HERE
As for handle making look HERE and HERE

 

[hobbes]

I was thinking to the end of the handle with just the carved wood so the tang isn't visible at all.

You don't have to rivet the tang, if you're glueing it well. Plastic handled Moras like the famous Clipper aren't riveted, just stuck in the plastic. Riveting comes down to us through the ages - before epoxy, when it was probably the rivet that gave a lot of the strength. Riveting probably is stronger, but a well epoxied knife without a rivet will still be plenty strong enough for most things I think. Anyway, I'm no accomplished maker, just a home hobbyist like you; I made three or four just glueing when I started out and they're fine.

 

[Colin.W]

Just remember, take your time, and you'll end up with a knife that'll stay with you forever, or at least, nearly!

You always remember the first knife you make!

Enjoy it!

This reminds me of the program on sky recently with 2 students living with a tribe in papua new guinea when one of them asked the tribesman about his hut and other bolongings he said the only thing I own is my knife, the wood my house is made from I borrowed from the forrest, one day she will claim them back. my knife is mine untill I die