Adding some grip to my Helle knife.

[troutfisher13111]

Any advice on how to add some grip to my Helle knife? It has a wooden handle and its slippery. I only have one right now and don't want to experiment with it. Thanks

 

[Bushman5]

heat up a very thin piece of steel (nail file) until red hot and burn in crosshatching into the handle wood. sand and reseal

 

[baldtaco-II]

Sports shop. Have a look at tape for racket, stick and bat handles.

 

[Mentor]

+1 for the cross-hatching.

Another option would be to add a jute or hemp wrap. This involves wrapping the handle in epoxy-soaked cord and letting it dry. When it sets up, you have a Micarta-ish grip texture.

Both the cross-hatching and the wrapping would preserve a traditional feel.

If you want to go with a more modern solution, you can cut sections from rubber tubing (ex. a bike tube) and slip these over the handle. This creates an amazing grip and it can be removed and replaced as needed.

All the best,

- Mike

 

[R.H.Clark]

You could do 3 rows of closely spaced, filed grooves all the way around in the front 1/3 of the handle.Use a small round needle file and reseal when finished.Some custom scandi knives have this feature.I think this would look the most traditional.

 

[BarberFobic1992]

thin coat of beeswax perhaps. It wouldn't ruin the look of the handle, but it would make it very grippy. It is what GB uses on there axe handles.

 

[Chris_Norden]

Not sure what/how Helle handles are finished, but I resand all my wood handles and refinish in linseed oil. This gives me enough grip for anything I want. To maintain the wood, a quick wipe with any oil whenever it *feels* "dry" does the job. Works for me, and is the same as how I do my axes. Worth mentioning is that I never use gloves, so I always have a better grip.
Chris