Anyone work with copper?

[Shotgun]

I was wondering how viable copper is to use on knife handles both as hardware(pins, lanyard tubes, etc.) and as scales themselves. I'm assuming they're easier to work because of the softness but really don't know.

 

[Nebulae]

evidently no

 

[Los Angeles]

I was originally trained as a metalsmith/silversmith and worked quite a bit with copper in school and a little bit afterward. It is very soft and also reactive - it will change color and pick up finger print stains, etc very easily. Some people are even allergic to the dust, and have sneezing fits and sinus problems from working with it.

That said, if you can keep it clean while you are working with it and know how to give it a permanent patina once you are done, it is an excellent and beautiful material.

I've personally never used it for knifemaking, so I can't speak to specific problems in this field.

 

[Tom Lewis]

I have used it when requested by a customer. When you grind it, it heats up really fast. Other than that, it looked good. It's soft, so it would scratch easily. Probably not the best material for a knife that will be used.

 

[White Rabbit]

I've used it as spacer between two parts of a damascus guard once. The only problem I had was the same as working aluminum, which is it really gums up grinder blades, so you have to cut it another way, then hand file it and sand it to shape. Luckily for me the size I used was thin enough for me to cut with my woodcutting bandsaw when slowed down. When I do aluminum I just use a big reciprocating saw.

I've used copper mosaic pin before too and its the same as any other pin except it picks up heat a little faster than steel or brass when you are pushing it through the tang, so you have to be quick.

 

[AcridSaint]

It's a little gummy to work, but I've used it a few times. It will patina naturally over time, or you can use some chemicals to give it a patina. If you want a really bright copper you'll have to varnish it somehow and hope that it doesn't wear off.

Here is a textured copper underlay that I did. It was about a year and a half ago, the guy I gave it to says it's still holding up fine, but I have not see it.

 

[JasonSCarter]

I use copper pins, liners, & guards It's a lil softer than brass but I thinks gives a knife a really diffrent look. I enjoy using it for the accents.

Jason

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Copper is wonderful to work with. It files and finishes beautifully.
It burnishes better than most any other metal.

I especially like it for guards. When you seat it on the shoulders of the blade, it looks like it disappears into the guard.

 

[Scott Hartman]

Copper is wonderful to work with. It files and finishes beautifully.
It burnishes better than most any other metal.

I especially like it for guards. When you seat it on the shoulders of the blade, it looks like it disappears into the guard.

Fred, Very nice nice knives! Plus you've convinced me to get off the fence and buy a bar of copper to make some guards.

 

[Clydetz]

I'm not a knifemaker but Ron Leuschen used copper on the guard, butt cap and mosaic pins on
this knife a number years back. Made me like the look of copper on a knife.

 

[Jack O'Neill]

I use it for pins and bolsters . I have done a couple with a hammer finished bolster, looks real interesting .

 

[Mace]

I like to use copper in my work. One thing is it will work harden...go slow and peck away at it when drilling holes.
Mace

 

[Mitchell Knives]

Where can I order thin copper sheets for scale material?

 

[David Wesner]

Where can I order thin copper sheets for scale material?

Chuck Bybee at Alpha knife Supply has some :thumbup:

http://www.alphaknifesupply.com/misc-metals.htm



Beautiful Dashi Cap !! :thumbup: :thumbup:

Mace.......Fred, Beautiful work guys !! :thumbup: :thumbup: Beautiful !!

 

[sunshadow]

I like to use copper in my work. One thing is it will work harden...go slow and peck away at it when drilling holes.
Mace

Nice looking knife Mace!


I use copper sheet for repousse work sometimes, you can easily form it (anneal by heating to dull red and quenching in water often because of the work hardening) it will gum up files and cutters, lubricate them with wax
it will patinate quickly, if you don't want that laquer it

-Page

 

[AcridSaint]

Thank you for the compliment David. It came out good for a piece of steel that I didn't know what I was going to do with

 

[Todd Robbins]

I use it for guards a lot on hidden tang knives. Like has already been mentioned, it heats up extremely fast, so you have to be careful grinding it to shape. I rough grind it to shape before I attach it to the blade, then it's files and then sandpaper from that point, just because the heat build up can mess up the epoxy in the handle cavity. (I hope that makes sense.)

Todd

 

[LostElk]

I just made a small camp knife with copper pins and purple heart wood for a handle (wanted to see how it looked), it would look better with a lighter wood. When putting in the pins do not peen them or force them to hard with a hammer, the pins swell easy and will split the wood. epoxy and a light tap is enough to secure it all together.

 

[SDS]

I think most people either love it or hate it. I love the way it looks on a knife. It is enough out of the ordinary to set a knife apart from the pack and I really like the way it ages. It takes a patina really easily so if your looking for that shiny copper look you will have to seal it somehow as someone stated above.

SDS

 

[Chris Meyer]

I used copper for the bolsters and liners on this knife I made for a friend. I think the copper looks good, but I found that it made the knife quite heavy. I probably should have drilled holes in the back side of the bolsters to lighten them up. I also found that the copper heated up quickly while grinding.

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