I'll try this with words, 'cause I ain't got no pictures
This is called a "blind knot".
Wet the strand (soak it if it feels like a board). It should feel like a green hide when you start.
Lay a long "U" shaped loop down the length of the handle. Leave a good foot of end available to you (read till the end and you will see why).
So- now you have something that looks more like a "J".
You are going to wrap the handle, trapping the loop between the wraps and the handle.
At the end of the wrap, you will have covered the entire handle and most of the loop. Take the end of the wrap and put it through the exposed loop of the "U".
Now, pull on the "foot of end" I suggested you leave. What this is going to do in pull the loose end of the wrap back under the wrap, trapping it between the wrap and the handle.
If you were careful doing this, and made sure there were no twists in the covered portion of the wrap, the handle will be smooth, but with a bulge where the blind knot is. Remember that as the rawhide dries it will shrink (less in length than in width and thickness). Some of the bulge will therefore go away ...but you may end-up with gaps between wraps.
To mitigate this I usually take a piece of rawhide and wrap the handle first- not a strand of rawhide, but a sheet of rawhide. (your final wrap holds this onto the handle and the blind knot rests between the sheet and your wrapping). This assures a covered handle with a spiral gripping surface- excellent for a field weapon. It will be very rough at first, but if you use it with clean (but wet) hands a few times that will smooth.
I hope this helps.
-carl
