new handle on a frost mora, any hints?

[rigger_john]

I want to replace the handle on my Frost Mora, it's the 740 modle which I bought from BCUK, the plastic handled one.

Any hints or tips would be great, some specific questions I already have are

What's the best way to remove the moulded on handle that the knife came with?

Where do you get "stabilised wood" from?

Look forward to reading the replys.

Thanks in advance

 

[wasteoid]

Hi mate, stabilised wood from here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=310081722161 - No involvement whatsoever, just been watching his stab wood for a while. (mick I believe is well known over on British blades as well)

And to get the handle off, maybe heat would help? blow torch? Maybe, just give the hilt end some loving with a hacksaw, so you can see what you are dealing with, the with finesse (and a hacksaw blade) work towards the blade?

Chris

 

[Leonidas]

Removal:
Try putting the handle in a vice just enough to hold it but not too tight.
Hold the nose of the blade with pliers.
Slowly heat the blade near the handle whilst pulling (gently) the blade away from the handle.
Alternatively put the blade in the vice and use an electric paint stripper blow torch to heat the handle until it is pliable enough to remove with a plain old knife.
Gently sand any remnants still on the tang.

New handle:
Pop down to the local DIY store and buy a large wooden file handle, the type with a metal collar where the tang of the file goes) collar stops it splitting.

Shape the wooden handle to suit before or after fitting to the blade....

Drill a hole in the file handle where the file would normally be inserted (usually stamped with a cross).
Drill needs to be around the same size or a little smaller than the tang.
Drill central to the wooden handle and a little deeper than the length of the tang.

Put the knife in a vice, held by the blade not the tang.
heat the tang (Only the end of the tang furthest from the blade or the blade will anneal and not keep it's edge)

Wearing welding gloves.....
Gently push the wodden handle onto the hot tang, it will smoke and slowly ease further onto the tang.
Do not force the wooden handle simply reheat the end of the tang.
Repeat until you get the tang all the way into the handle.

When you have acheived the above use two part epoxy glue to bond the blade into the wooden handle.
Leave overnight to cure.

Voila, cheap but satisfying first moira style blade handle.....

 

[Leonidas]

PS:- minus the gluing stage the above makes a great practice run prior to using really nice wood for your handle.....

 

[brancho]

My advice is to buy a blade blank from a dealer/maker and use that as the tang will be longer and you will still have a bckup.
Search on here for some of the threads of it being done so you see photos.

Look HERE and HERE

 

[Forest fella]

I'm thinking of getting a bigger handle on my Traditional Mora knife as I have big hands and I keep getting cuts from the blade where it's just over the guard,I love the knife but's this problem is getting old very quickly.

 

[Diligence]

if you can find some old staircase railing spindles from an old home (with the right grain structure), they are almost already the right shape for your big hand (with some elbow grease to shape), drill a hole to suit the tang, use whatever flat metal you have lying around (perhaps a coin the right diameter), drill hole to suit, lather the whole works in epoxy, clamp blade,bolster and handle together, final sand----and a DIY handle has been born.

D

 

[stanley lake]

Hi rigger john i would agree with brancho for the time and effort it would be easier to by a knife blank and scales already made up and make a new knife have a look at this web site brisa knife supplies:notworthy you won't be diserpointed thay have your type off knife in complete kit form for around £25

 

[Draven]

About removing the blade from the plastic handle
I would strongly recommend against using heat. A source that is hot enough to melt the plastic enough to remove it is hot enough to damage the temper on the blade. I've cut off plastic handles twice and hacksaw worked fine. Though a little awkward, as the tang is an irregular shape. A dremel with a cutting disc would help

Pete