Pros and cons of stacked leather

[Toddy]

I have three long tanged Frost's carving blades that need handled.

My carving is usually of the 12th scale or flourishings type, so the thought of doing these knives with blocks of timber and shaping them to suit isn't something I really want to contemplate.

However, I do like the look of the stacked leather or birchbark handles, and I'm pretty sure I can make a decent effort at them.

Any particular pros and cons ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[addo]

I have three long tanged Frost's carving blades that need handled.

My carving is usually of the 12th scale or flourishings type, so the thought of doing these knives with blocks of timber and shaping them to suit isn't something I really want to contemplate.

However, I do like the look of the stacked leather or birchbark handles, and I'm pretty sure I can make a decent effort at them.

Any particular pros and cons ?

cheers,
Toddy

If you keep the peices close to the finished size then I guess some work will be saved, but TBH a combo of leather, birch bark and loads of glue is harder to carve through, than wood I find. Ive yet to by a grinder and do all mine by hand.

The finished result will look great though

 

[Ratbag]

Easy if you've got a drill press fitted with a sanding drum though

Rat

 

[addo]

Easy if you've got a drill press fitted with a sanding drum though

Rat

Aye, thats the way to go Mr Rat

 

[Melonfish]

i've seen some interesting effects using paracord to make handles, in fact i've got a knife with a paracord handle, i'll post pics tonight.
i wouldn't know where to start with leather?

 

[JohnC]

I used 2p pieces and birch bark for a handle, once it was under pressure and riveted tight, it carved to shape fairly easily., I used glue between the birch pieces.

 

[Toddy]

i've seen some interesting effects using paracord to make handles, in fact i've got a knife with a paracord handle, i'll post pics tonight.
i wouldn't know where to start with leather?

Thank you kindly, but I have a real dislike of wrapped handles. I find that they cause me blisters and dirt and grime become embedded in the cordage. I can appreciate the work in doing them properly, but just not something I would use.

I used 2p pieces and birch bark for a handle, once it was under pressure and riveted tight, it carved to shape fairly easily., I used glue between the birch pieces.

Ah, I hoped you might see this thread and respond John
Jamie has a milling something or other and has said he'll cut out the metal pieces for me so that they'll fit snuggly on the tang.
Otherwise I was eyeing up the drill press and my little jewellers coping saw.

What kind of glue did you use ? and would you recommend it ?
How did you do the riveting.........I was tempted to break out the taps and dies and screwthread the end of the tang.

Finally, in use, anyone have any reservations about the stacked handles ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[leon-1]

There is no a lot of difference to be honest Mary.

Think along these lines, cut small oblongs of leather, cut small holes / slots in oblongs of leather.

Mix epoxy resin, coat each oblong with epoxy, if you have done this so the slots in the leather fit the tang precisely then this will have to be done in order.

Then individually place each oblong once coated with resin on the two facing surfaces onto the tang, once you have placed all leather on tang compress so that you get a really good close fit between each layer and any excess resin is pushed out.

Once this is done and the resin has had a few days to cure off (the resin that I use takes fourteen hours to cure completely, but I find it better to leave for longer) then start shaping the handle. I do this with a rasp to start with and it's quite hard going in comparison to most woods.

after that I go to using sandpaper and then wet an' dry.

Once I have everything pretty much the way I want it I use super glue on the handle, the leather drinks it, I then use wet an' dry again before putting on a polishing wheel.

With a stick tang involving wood I tend to drill out the hole, use a series of small rasps to match it to the tang, cut the block to the shape that I require. Fit the handle to the tang with resin. Leave to cure and then shape using strips of sandpaper of various grades, polish up using wet an' dry before sticking on a buffing wheel.

After all that it 's a case of waxes and oils really.

Stacked leather can be rather messy as far as get resin everywhere and then having three days with hands that look filthy because it takes forever to come off (soak them in warm soapy water quite soon after you finish and you'll get most of it off in quite a quick order).

With wood obviously the problem will be sawdust unless you have cut the block to shape before trimming of the rest using sandpaper and wet an' dry.

 

[JohnC]

.....What kind of glue did you use ? and would you recommend it ? How did you do the riveting.........I was tempted to break out the taps and dies and screwthread the end of the tang....

Hello, I found some pics I took at the time, the glue was weatherproof woodglue ?a PVA type , all I can recall was it was a "no-more nails type" and dried clear. The 2p on the end was a tight fit and IIRC I used a tap and die set to allow a nut to be screwed on, then I put a wood end cap on with araldite.
I don't have the knife anymore it was put up in in the auction we had last year..

 

[topknot]

Hi Toddy,

Cheers Topknot

 

[Hoodoo]

A knife with an unfinished birch bark handle is an amazing tool to hold in your hand. The feeling in the hand is PLUSH. No one is better at making these than than Pekka Tuominen.

If you finish the exerior of the bark, you will lose that feeling of warmth and plushness.

 

[Gailainne]

Hoodoo

That is just amazing looking, I would imagine it picks up oils etc as it is used ?

 

[Hoodoo]

Hoodoo

That is just amazing looking, I would imagine it picks up oils etc as it is used ?

Yes, it will "wear in." But birch bark is full of it's own oils and chemicals. When a birch tree falls in the forest, the bark lasts long after the wood has rotted away. It's an excellent handle material.

My IJ birch-handled puukko has not discolored at all over the many years I've had it and used it hard. I've never treated the handle. But it was darker to begin with and not nearly as plush. But it does give you that warm birch-bark feel.

 

[Toddy]

Hoodoo those are beautiful
Yeah, that's what I want for these little carvers , though I admit, I do like the stacked leather......aahhh, decisions, decisions.....

I must admit I was wondering about the use of glues and varnishes, traditionally folks neither had pva or superglue, so what did they use ? Did they use glue or did the birch bark or leather just gently bond together with time and pressure ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[addo]

Tree resin and ground charcoal? Or fish swim bladders melted down?

 

[addo]

Yes, it will "wear in." But birch bark is full of it's own oils and chemicals. When a birch tree falls in the forest, the bark lasts long after the wood has rotted away. It's an excellent handle material.

My IJ birch-handled puukko has not discolored at all over the many years I've had it and used it hard. I've never treated the handle. But it was darker to begin with and not nearly as plush. But it does give you that warm birch-bark feel.

Very nice knives there!

 

[Dougster]

I've recently finished one to give to a friend and glued it in epoxy as I couldn't find the PVA , then I sanded it, superglued it and sanded again. It's extraordinarily light and lovely to hold - that one by Topknot is a beauty and gives a good idea of the finish.

The weight has persuaded me to make more, it's just perfect to have hanging around your neck and not be bothered by.

I'd like to see your results.

 

[demographic]

I have a stacked leather handle on my 20 Oz Estwing hammer and its hanging off my hammer loop all week and I would say rather more than most knives do.


After sanding the quite frankly pretty nasty varnish off it I really like the grip and it lasts very well indeed.

 

[Melonfish]

Got to say i love the birch bark idea, i reckon that looks amazing!

Anyway i couldn't find my knife with the paracord handle, and toddy is right i reckon it would get a bit of dirt in it etc, however i like the ability to have a fair amount of paracord wrapped here and there, and i'm also not skilled enough to produce anything resembling whats shown on here.
Instead i'll link you to a chap who is cord wrapping his blank, he uses two seperate strands of paracord but tbh i'd only use the one strand leaving me with one long piece rather then two longish pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwkp9Tx6OdI&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgBVlrAEmSM&feature=channel

Thats both parts.
As he says you use about 10-12 inches of cord per inch of blade so your getting a fair bit on there.
ta
pete

 

[Toddy]

As I said, it's a personal gripe,

Have you had a shot at making your belt out of paracord ? There were a few threads about it a couple of years back and some of the results were really sound. They looked good and really wearable too.

Thanks for the links

cheers,
M