Oak scales?

[Peter_t]

i have recently aquired some lovely oak from college. i am planning to use it on a knife im makeng and am aware how corrosive it is (it completely blackened the bandsaw on our sawmill! ) my question is will it reck my knife or just blacken the tang? if it is seperated by epoxy glue will it still effect the blade??

thanks alot!
pete

 

[spamel]

Use some fibre liners to be sure.

 

[Peter_t]

im not too keen on the look of fiber liners, has anybody had experience without useing them?

 

[leon-1]

im not too keen on the look of fiber liners, has anybody had experience without useing them?

Neil1 used a set of old Oak floor boards for the first knife handle he made, they were on for in excess of six months with only them and the epoxy and the knife itself.

At his request I removed them at a later date and replaced them with a set of Ebony scales and red fibre liners, when I did it there were a couple of spots that had tarnished (for want of a better expression) where the epoxy hadn't fully covered the tang and the wood was directly touching the metal.

It wasn't very serious to clean away, but I don't know how much more would have happened over a longer time.

As Spamel said, your best bet are fibre liners, just to be on the safe side, you can get them in a number of colours and thicknesses that can actually add to the appearance of a knife.

 

[Dave Budd]

i use oak a fair bit on knives with no worry at all. The tang is seperated from the oak by epoxy and in any case, the blackening is an oxidation process; so without moisture or air it won't do much

Once the handle is finished and oiled the oak will darken but will be unlikely to stain anything.

 

[Toddy]

I wondered about that; think of the old doors with iron hinges and studs, that doesn't 'seem' to indicate that even though the iron changes colour (so does the oak) that it weakens it.
The sgian dubh, literally "black knife", is traditionally handled with oak.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[JonnyP]

One of the first knives I made had oak scales glued straight onto the tang http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18818 It has been used as a kitchen knife since I made it and I have had no problems apart from having to dry it as soon as its been washed (it rusts v quickly) and it needs honing on a steel quite often...

 

[Bernie Garland]

Myself personally with un treated, un stabiiized scales i would always use vulcanised fibre liners,as they act as a shock absorber between the scale and the tang.

bernie

 

[Peter_t]

i think ill just stick with plane oak, its only my first knife and im makeing it to work so it doesn't have to look nice lol

 

[Dave Budd]

Myself personally with un treated, un stabiiized scales i would always use vulcanised fibre liners,as they act as a shock absorber between the scale and the tang.

bernie

no need if the glue you use is not brittle The epoxy I use has a bit of flex, but the whole thing is tight anyway. I don't like fibre liners because they can split apart, they are only cardboard afterall

 

[Dave Budd]

Myself personally with un treated, un stabiiized scales i would always use vulcanised fibre liners,as they act as a shock absorber between the scale and the tang.

bernie

no need if the glue you use is not brittle The epoxy I use has a bit of flex, but the whole thing is tight anyway. I don't like fibre liners because they can split apart, they are only cardboard afterall

 

[Bernie Garland]

no need if the glue you use is not brittle The epoxy I use has a bit of flex, but the whole thing is tight anyway. I don't like fibre liners because they can split apart, they are only cardboard afterall

Well i'd do a bit more research mate before claiming its cardboard

Bernie

 

[Dave Budd]

seriously, it is!

It's paper fibres that are soaked in water then comprised under very high pressure, forming a sheet dense fibre. I looked into it when I first discovered that it seperates when you peel it off things that you've accidently stuck it to.

I do use it, but not generally on full tang knives. Normally I use it on stick tangs for contrast between layers. It's good stuff for decorating and for hiding small imperfections (another reason I don't use it very often), but for strength or as a barrier, nah.

 

[Bernie Garland]

seriously, it is!

It's paper fibres that are soaked in water then comprised under very high pressure, forming a sheet dense fibre. I looked into it when I first discovered that it seperates when you peel it off things that you've accidently stuck it to.

I do use it, but not generally on full tang knives. Normally I use it on stick tangs for contrast between layers. It's good stuff for decorating and for hiding small imperfections (another reason I don't use it very often), but for strength or as a barrier, nah.

Hi Dave

Hear is a link to how its made, it will also tell you the applications and strength,As for peeling of,I think you must have had some bad stuff,as if ive ever had to remove a scale its a right job,and as for imperfections i never have any in my knives either,

http://www.polymerplastics.com/composite_vulcan.shtml

Bernie

 

[Dave Budd]

fair enough, posh cardboard

it is a compressed and bonded paper/cotton board, as described above and in the link. I agree that when cut it finishes like plastic and is great stuff. The peeling is not peeling off like a layer of plastic, it's more the tearing and delaminating of a bit of cardboard glued down. I've not had a handle fail because of it, but then I haven't had a handle fail becasue I haven't used it. I'm not denegrating it as a useful material, I just put it in the aesthetics catagory of materials rather than a physical requirement.

 

[Bernie Garland]

I wouldn't say its a physical requirement,But it definitely makes a better bond between the scale and tang,and it prevents moisture getting between the scale and tang,how many scales have you knocked of old knives and found the tang rusty,so i'll keep using them,and i think they also finish the knife better nice crisp lines.

Bernie

 

[Bernie Garland]

Hears one i made earlier red fibre liners

bernie

 

[Colin KC]

I wouldn't say its a physical requirement,But it definitely makes a better bond between the scale and tang,and it prevents moisture getting between the scale and tang,how many scales have you knocked of old knives and found the tang rusty,so i'll keep using them,and i think they also finish the knife better nice crisp lines.

Bernie

Bernie, vulcanized fibre certainly doesn't act as a moisture barrier, it can & does absorb moisture (& it's dimensions can change due to moisture absorbtion)


Prolly nothing to worry about on a knife handle that's had a moisture resistant barrier added (oil, wax or other protection)

 

[ZDP-189]

I never knew that, Col, but I suspected it. I suppose I will have to be careful. Imagine if you were dependent on gluing scales on to vulcan fibre scales without a corby bolt and had the knife in a very wet environment. I won't be doing any more knives like that.

It's a shame as vulcan fibres hide manufacturing flaws well.