Svord handle fail...

[Samon]

Agh.. I just spent the last hour or two cutting, shapeing and fiddling with some ebay walnut scales I bought for them to clean split in hald like glass! just before I was going to sand them down and try to finish them off and they bloody snap..

I noticed the wood was brittle and dry as Gandhi's sandle.. but even after a soak and hand rub in linseed oil they shared an indentical and unfortunate fate..

Yeah.. right bugger!

Anyway, here are some pic's for you guys to laugh at.. £6 down the pooper!





I do like the original scales..



..but fancied some brass liners and a higher bolster. I guess I'll have to find some better wood next time. Now I have contacted the ebay seller so I will update here if he plays fair and refunds me!

thanks for looking

 

[Niels]

May I just observe that you did an awesome blade mod there? That's like a pocket woodlore!
Bummer about the scales. I'm thinking about doing a svord too, with reindeer scales.

 

[Samon]

May I just observe that you did an awesome blade mod there? That's like a pocket woodlore!
Bummer about the scales. I'm thinking about doing a svord too, with reindeer scales.

Ah thank you! that's one mod' that went well!

Sounds like it'll look beast when it's done! my advise is get the plastic scales on the stock knife! the wooden scales are simualr to the ones i broke today, very dry and very brittle! (simular thing happened to my original svords' wooden scales! )

 

[Stew]

Er, I know it sucks but what has the seller done wrong? For it to snap like that surely the wood is end grain and would be weak. You should have bonded them to your brass liners earlier.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I could be wrong but they look like they've snapped across the grain. That type of scale requires long grain, ie grain running front to back of the blade.

 

[Samon]

The seller hasn't done anything 'wrong', but I do believe the product is poor. They are sold as 'knife scales', and should be strong enough to be worked and used. These are neither of those.

 

[redandshane]

How the did that happen ?
How can that happen?
Looks odd to me

 

[Biker]

The seller hasn't done anything 'wrong', but I do believe the product is poor. They are sold as 'knife scales', and should be strong enough to be worked and used. These are neither of those.

Just as Colin (CrosslandKelly) says the grain should run the longest length to be strong, you can clearly see in the photo of the break the grain running up and down. There is no way on God's little earth wood would break like that if it wasn't cut cross grain.

As for them being sold as knife scales, they are... so long as they're glued or bolted to a full tang. In which case they'll last decades, but to rely on short-grained wood to be strong on it's own you'll get the result you had time and time again. Sorry mate, dem's da breaks.. literally.

 

[Niels]

I think it broke when he made his knife into a bushhammer:

Woops meant one like this:

 

[Stew]

The seller hasn't done anything 'wrong', but I do believe the product is poor. They are sold as 'knife scales', and should be strong enough to be worked and used. These are neither of those.

They are knife scales, you've just used them in a way that will make them break. Cross cut scales are fine if used on a full tang blade or attached to liners but to expect them to be strong enough in that application is unrealistic.

My suggestion is to chalk it up to experience but also you have the possibilty of two more sets of scales there - glue them to liners as they are but clean up the junction of each one then get a contrasting wood for the other half.

 

[Samon]

I have spoken with the seller and he kindly offered to send me a new set of walnut scales and another set of yew scales! I have thanked him and this time I will line them first and hope to prevent another breakage!

 

[Albus Culter]

Bad news fella. Real pain when you put all that work in for it to fail at the last.

As above they are cut cross grain. I've noticed a lot on eBay cut that way. As said better for full tang knives. However I'd still be cautious on a full tang as they are still very prone to splitting as they do not hold much strength. They also leave an open grain so can also absorbe moisture more easily and then split when drying too.

Looks a good clean break. Any chance of a dab of wood glue. Press them back together and get them on some thick liners for extra support. Just to salvage your hard work?

Its hard on eBay but I try and look for quarter sawn so you can see the growth rings for interest but get some strength.

Very hard luck :sad6:

 

[Brocktor]

did you soak it in water or oil?

 

[Samon]

Bad news fella. Real pain when you put all that work in for it to fail at the last.

As above they are cut cross grain. I've noticed a lot on eBay cut that way. As said better for full tang knives. However I'd still be cautious on a full tang as they are still very prone to splitting as they do not hold much strength. They also leave an open grain so can also absorbe moisture more easily and then split when drying too.

Looks a good clean break. Any chance of a dab of wood glue. Press them back together and get them on some thick liners for extra support. Just to salvage your hard work?

Its hard on eBay but I try and look for quarter sawn so you can see the growth rings for interest but get some strength.

Very hard luck :sad6:

Aye it's a bummer.. I guess I'll learn from it and try to pick more appropriate cuts of wood for any future projects. fancy quoting me a price for a handle job? nothing fancy just the wood I have, some brass liners/pins and a normal shape..?

did you soak it in water or oil?

I gave it some raw linseed oil as it felt very dry to begin with. It was advertised as 'kiln' dried too.

 

[Biker]

Samon PM me your address I have some fancy schmancy bits of off cut woods that you can practice on. Purpleheart, padauk etc. I'll cut them to 14mm thick and wang 'em off in the post to you soon. You'll have to shape them of course but at least the wood's free.

 

[Angst]

yo sir samon....bad news m8, but its all part of 'the curve' and youre more knowlegeable now than before they broke....which is what its all about. its very rare i start something 'new' and it goes completely to plan.

keep it up!

s

 

[dwardo]

Some woods can be strong against the grain but most are not. I find dense oily woods are some of the worst.
Like they say in the bow world, if you aint breaking em you aint makin em.

 

[Samon]

Samon PM me your address I have some fancy schmancy bits of off cut woods that you can practice on. Purpleheart, padauk etc. I'll cut them to 14mm thick and wang 'em off in the post to you soon. You'll have to shape them of course but at least the wood's free.

Hey, thanks a tonne dude!

 

[hog]

I could be wrong but they look like they've snapped across the grain. That type of scale requires long grain, ie grain running front to back of the blade.

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[belzeebob23]

Hi Samon
That just makes you want to cry. I'm not sure who you used to get the scales from.
I have used this guy gortwood9188 from the bay a couple of time , seems to be a nice chap.
Just tell him what your after and he will sort you out and not to expensive. Here' a pic of my attempt at doing the same as you.
It's still a work in progress, I used Yew and the grain came up great

No connects to the seller just a happy customer.
Bob