Adding your own handles

[swimmerdude1127]

Just a real quick question... if you were to add your own handles to a crinkled blade, how would you shape them with a belt sander without sanding away the crinkle coat along the tang?

I have some leftover micarta and brass pins from a kit I built and was thinking about adding some handles to my Rat Warden but didn't want to strip away any of the coating.

 

[fugawee]

Ive never put handles on a knife,but,
Can you trace the handle onto the slabs first.
Cut them out with a bandsaw or whatever you use,then
maybe insert a piece of wood,the thickness of the knife
steel in between the 2 slabs.
Glue it together with hotglue or something,then sand it.
Might have to fashion that piece of wood the same shape as the steel as well.
Do all your sanding,pop the slabs off the filler wood,
then mount it to the steel.

 

[Jeremy Horton]

it really would be hard! that is one advantage of the fusion handles, one shape, one handle for all models. but not removing coating! i can recoat knives or re beadblast. when i do a knife that has to be coated, i fit the handles with just dowel pins then coat the blade, then flair the handles on. bead blast is easier , i just blast handles and all. if i wanted to to do handles, i would put scales on then double cut the shiney where you ground off coating, like a Smooth Bolt, old school look. but getting a great fit up without scuffing it, Im sure there are people who can! I dont have that kind of patience! lol good luck James!

 

[rbmcmjr]

The polished spine models from the Ergo line (and maybe some others) were the result of this type of work. In my opinion, the polished spine really makes the knife look hot.

 

[308sniper]

If you have a router in a router table, you can first completely finish the micarta on the two ends. Install the slabs on the babe, then using a trim bit in the router, trim off the excess micarta on the top and bottom.

 

[swimmerdude1127]

The polished spine models from the Ergo line (and maybe some others) were the result of this type of work. In my opinion, the polished spine really makes the knife look hot.

I agree with you here, but I'm a little hesitant to do it because the Swamp Rat's SR-101 steel isn't nearly as corrosion resistant as INFI... so the coating is important to prevent corrosion.

I might just end up trying it anyway.