Best way to attach scales?

pooltablepro

pooltablepro

Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
125
First off - I am not a knifemaker (obvious) - and I apologize if this was addressed before :o I am curious as to the best way to attach scales, that is both secure and aesthetically pleasing?

I am putting curly sapele wood scales on a full tang damascus fixed blade. Is it best to use roll pins? bolt and nut? Where do mosaic pins figure in? Thanks in advance.

Chris
 
Most epoxies will work, the slower the cure (in general) the more inherent strength. For instance Devcon 5min is not as strong as Devcon 30 min.... NONE NONE NONE NONE will hold up if your wood has not been stabilized, I stress this fact because you are obviously new and may not know. It REALLY sucks to put all that work into a knife and watch the handle curl off of the blade.... If it's not stabilized that is what will happen.
Check out staburl.com for some nice stuff @ very reasonable prices. If the set you have has not been professionaly stabilized you can send it out to have that done but it will take some time to get back...
Good luck!:thumbup:
Matt Doyle
 
I think Corby's and quality epoxy (I use Acraglas) is the way to go for many knives. Looks great, and it's very secure.

--nathan
 
Sorry Matt but I have to disagree with you . Not all woods need to be stabilized .
 
Also the squeeze type cutlery rivets work well, they use the principle of compression and will never come loose. Use epoxy to ensure an airtight fit between the scales, then use the rivet of your choice for a good solid stable handle.
 
Jack and Matt, I agree that there are definitely woods that have to be stabilized for longevity, but I also agree that some woods like desert ironwood and mesquite are dense enough to be ok without stabilization, and some woods just cannot be stabilized because of their makeup. With any natural handle material, on down the line somewhere, you will have movement.

--nathan
 
I don't like any wood stabilized. Much prefer a natural look to a knife, even if it means a bit more care and attention. For me, personally, I think stabilized wood looks and feels like plastic.
 
R.C.Reichert said:
I don't like any wood stabilized. Much prefer a natural look to a knife, even if it means a bit more care and attention. For me, personally, I think stabilized wood looks and feels like plastic.
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A century ago , even sooner , the process of professionally stabilized wood did not exist , Use of the right woods and if in doubt , sealed with the proper natural oil sealants and the wood will last for decades . My favorite question is , Where did the vikings send there wood out to be stabilized for there ships ??:jerkit::D Sorry could not help myself .:eek:
 
ONeill said:
Sorry Matt but I have to disagree with you . Not all woods need to be stabilized .
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No you're right not ALL do. The one he mentioned as an intent for use however, DOES. That's why I mentioned...
Matt
 
Nathan, AKA silver_pilate - I have never had ANY movement in my choice of natural handle materials... :):D
 
ONeill said:
A century ago , even sooner , the process of professionally stabilized wood did not exist , Use of the right woods and if in doubt , sealed with the proper natural oil sealants and the wood will last for decades . My favorite question is , Where did the vikings send there wood out to be stabilized for there ships ??:jerkit::D Sorry could not help myself .:eek:
Click to expand...

I've made many longbows from white oak 1x2's and after I got good at it I made some over 50# bows with a backing that have shot for years, one has many thousand arrows through it and I still use it to hunt with. With the design they mostly have very little set and perform about the same as the day I made them. One is asking alot from a piece of oak when making a bow.Would these same white oak 1x2's work for knife handles? I'm thinking white oak with black liner material would look sharp. sorry if off topic too much.
 
Redrummd, haha...touche'. Well, some of you're handle material DID move at some point....just it was in the past, not the future :D.

--nathan
 
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