Avoiding the dreaded...BLOCKY HANDLE!

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

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Aug 13, 2002
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Since I am not doing anything in the shop I thought I'd make myself useful and post a reminder about one of the biggest mistake new makers make. And sadly not only the new guys. I think it is something that is hard to get over and people with a few knives under their belts still seem to struggle with it. I include myself in this group as I have to refine the shape more than a few time to avoid....wait for it...the dreaded...BLOCKY HANDLE!

It is one of the more obvious signs of a beginner and produces a handle that is both uncomfortable (well at least not as comfortable as it could be) and visually not very pleasing. The weird thing is that in theory, it is something relatively easy to correct. But in practice, the fear of taking off too much of that nice handle material you've payed for and worked so hard to attach make it a much harder mistake to rectify.
Here is a simple cross-section drawing (I know, I ain't no Rembrandt) of a full tang handle.

handle_cross_section.jpeg


Sorry about the over simplification but there is really not much more to it than that. Well there probably is but I just don't know the terminology to put it down in words. And if you are like me, and prefer books with pictures in them, it'll make more sense anyway. ;)

As you see, a small radius on the corners just doesn't work as where a nice fuller radius gives a pleasing look and an oval shape that fits the hand much better.
A small piece of cardboard cut to the desired radius could serve as a guide to help alleviate the fear of taking off too much.
Now of to the sanding station you go and let's wage war on those blocky handles! :D
 
Great point Patrice. Sometimes it is not noticable to the maker but others see it and point it out. Great tip for folks that have not had it pointed out yet. Am I speaking from experience? Yes...
 
I totally dig the template, great idea. I honestly dont know how, as someone trying to make a knife, would not notice a square handle.
I know, I've seen some pretty square and un ergonomic knives that have been idolized, as well as perfectly round, just doesnt make sense.
 
There seem to bee a lot of rectangular handles around on line lock folders. I believe people get scared if they round them out that they will wreck all the work they did. They sure have to be terrible to use. Frank
 
Thanks, Patrice.
This is a good reminder. Too many first knives end up looking like a sharpened bar of steel with a rounded corner block of wood for a handle. The answer, as you have pointed out, is to curve things.
 
I would also like to point out that the elliptical cross-section shown may not always be the answer either. I often prefer more of an "egg-shaped" cross-section... especially toward my trigger finger. I'd also like to mention that there are some instances where a chamfered rectangle works... like coffin-handles and the CQC7. :p
That being said... Patrice is correct that it is often difficult for a new maker to overcome the fear of taking off too much material. There are a few things that scream "newbie" to me; chunky handles, turd-shaped handles, chunky guards and thick edges... all of which I have been guilty of at times (and probably will be again). :D
Erin
 
Sad thing is, this also applies to larger companies like, uhm Ontario. I don't mind calling them out, cause they could remedy the problem, and sell more knives.
At the same time, re-shaping several Ontario's have given me some experience. My interest in making knives has only begun, and I've started with the handles. My current project is their 12" Cutlass machete. I have some stabilized Hickory scales rough shaped and mocked up right now. It's really an attempt to make the blade useable. Sadly, all of their knives/machete's are painfull to use, IMO. But, I'm making lemonaid.

Patrice, do you use a template or jig to get your handle ergos, or is each one freehand? Do you do it by feel, actually using each knife, or do you have an established method? Thanks
 
I think one way to get around the fear of removing too much material is to use hand tools and go slowly. The grinder can remove a lot of material in just a few seconds!
 
Maybe someone could do a tutorial for the beginners showing how to shape and finish the handles?
I would be happy to donate straight grain blocks or scales to use as practice pieces so they don't have to worry about messing up expensive materials.
If anyone would be willing to take this on, just let me know and I will set aside some handle materials.
 
Patrice, this thread is so true. Guilty as charged!

This is my fifth knife. I worked really hard on it, but there was always something that just wasn't right. Then I finally realized it was the squareness of the scales. Those slabs look terrible!

DSCN2059.jpg


So on number 6 I really focused on getting more of a half circle. It's better, but still not as contoured as it could be.

DSCN2206.jpg


Making a template like that is something I am going to do today in the shop.
 
Burl Source said:
Maybe someone could do a tutorial for the beginners showing how to shape and finish the handles?
Click to expand...

I don't have any big secrets, but I'll take some pics of each step next time I put one together. :thumbup:
 
I agree Erin that a perfect oval may not be the best shape for all the cross section of the handle but I did not want to complicate it too much. I figured that once the blocky handle thing is remedied, makers can then go from there and explore better handle shapes while still having a general curvy feeling. As Stacy said, it's all about curves, for women as well as knives. ;)

Foxx, I actually never used the template. I go mostly by eye and feel which takes quite a long time. I may try the template in the future at least at the beginning to shorten that time a little.

Mark, it is a generous offer but I don't think a tutorial would do any good. There are a few our there already (off the top of my head Nick Wheeler probably covers it in one of his WIP) and the problem still remains. My suggestion would be to make a mock up knife with mild steel and cheap wood and remove as much as needed maybe even too much to actually get of feel of what it is like.

Thanks for your input guys, I am glad this is of some use to some.
 
One of the things that I do to try is to hold the knife a bunch while I grind the handle. I try to feel where there are pressure points, grind a bit more there, and then repeat.

Wayne Suhrbier
 
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I can't seem to find it, but a few years back I posted a handle thread.

The long and short was:
Some knives have specific use handles with very straight and square handles, like a sashimi knife, but most gain a lot in looks and function from a bit of graceful shaping.

Make it a series of curves - there should be few or no straight and flat surfaces - straight lines look and feel funny most of the time.
Think of the shape of a woman, and why the Victoria's Secret girls look a lot nicer to men than Russian women wrestlers, ( This does not apply to Sam, who likes the shape of women wrestlers.) and why angular quartz crystals look nice, but a curved orchid looks better - nature knows that curves are nicer on the eye.
The top should curve down - AKA dropped butt....even a tiny bit changes the look dramatically.
Generally the handle should be slightly larger at the butt.....just like Sam likes his women.
Avoid deep finger grooves, they only fit one hand perfectly. A slight palm swell works far better.
The butt can be flat or rounded, but should normally have some sort of angle to the shaft - not a 90 degree chopped off end.
The same goes for the front of a handle without a guard. A little angle or curve goes a long way in adding "flow" to the knife.

Now, as to the cross section of the handle. Under normal situations the cross section should be ovoid, or egg shaped. An oval or ellipse is fine, but the thinner bottom of an ovoid handle will fit the hand better, make the handle lighter, and look more graceful.

The very worst looking handle is a rectangle with rounded corners. It looks like you started the handle and never finished it.

Take material off a little at a time, shaping the whole look gradually. You can always take off more, but can't add any back. Remember that there will be more taken off when doing the final sanding.

When using a belt sander to shape a handle, use a slow speed and a light touch. A handle can go from beautiful to kindling in about one second. Until one gains experience, sandpaper and elbow grease are better than a KMG for handle work.
 
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bladsmth said:
When using a belt sander to shape a handle, use a slow speed and a light touch. A handle can go from beautiful to kindling in about one second. Until one gains experience, sandpaper and elbow grease are better than a KMG for handle work.
Click to expand...


This is quite true.

Once I found the "shoeshine" method of using shop roll abrasive strips, my handles improved.

I still have to watch undercutting pins and use a file to work down pins.


Once you master that method, you can go to grinder slack belt to speed it up a little.
 
Good point to bring up, Patrice. I also try to eschew "blob" handles, which I see as being to fat and round. They tend to turn in the grip, and I like a slimmer feel for a handle. Plus, blobs and blocks don't look well as handles.

I like to use an 8" contact wheel to block my handles out and rough hollow the palm swell in, grinding mostly with the knife held vertically. I work in angles, then taking the corners off those angles, then taking the corners off the resulting smaller angles, until I'm rounding back and forth over the resulting radius. Doing the shaping in angles and blocking out rough symmetrically on both sides allows things to develop apace with each other and look balanced.

On the other hand, I like a little bit of corner to my handles, or maybe it's a little bit of flat to the sides of my ellipses. It helps with control to have a well defined area for the knuckles to wrap around.
 
I have mostly made full tang knives so far. What has worked for me is square up the outside of the scales flush with the blade. then I draw reference lines on the scales to work to. Most knives I have done so far were finished by hand useing files, and sandpaper. Now that I have my clone up and running I am able to rough a little closer to my final shape. Haveing these reference lines allows you to use the machine to get closer to shape, and less hand work. I will admit my first knife was a bit on the chunky side, but I felt like I was fileing for a long time on that thing. So far every knife I make I learn something new, and I bet that will happen after I make a hundred knives.
 
The procedure I use is to start with a block shape, making sure the sides are square to the blade. Then I grind the basic profile on a stick tang, or follow the tang on a full tang. Once the profile is set, I knock off the corners at 45 degrees. Then I taper the sides toward the bottom. Next, I round over the bottom, and then the top. From there I ease the top and bottom onto the sides making a smooth transition all the way around. The rest is mainly just shaping the palm swell and butt.
 
The shoe shine and file combination as stated above is a good set of techniques. One file that gets a great deal of use when I shape wooden handles is this 10 inch long wooden bowl rasp. It has a rough cut on one end and a finish cut on the other. If you are not familiar with this type of file here is a pic.

Good thread Patrice!
06A04.jpg
 
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