Best way to slot handle material

seaplane

seaplane

Joined
Jun 25, 2000
Messages
680
I like to rehandle knives for a hobby and I have only had experience with the diamondwood slabs for some butcher style knives and a couple of diamondwood blocks that I used to rehandle a taper tanged knife. I am contemplating redoing my Coldsteel trailmaster with a yellow micarta handle and was wondering the best way to get the perfect squared slot that I will need to slide on the tang. I could rough it out with a drill , but could anyone steer me in the right direction? Thanks for any advise---C.L.

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"A six blade Knife will do anything for you"
 
Seaplane
If you don't have access to milling equipment, a drill will work fine. I have done a number of Trailmasters and the one in the attached scan was done in mustard micarta using a hand held drill and a file. I like to leave the inside surface of the slot rough to give the epoxy something to grip. I also rough up the tang. I have done several pinned replacement handles using the Trailmaster's hole in the tang, however, that requires some careful measurements. Good luck on your project.
Bubba

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=314358&a=4192287&p=17571865
 
That is the correct direction you are heading in.After you ruff it in with wthe drill clean it up with a small round file or grind the sides off a larger round file so it only cuts the top and bottom of the slot and not the sides.I use a round rasp or real coarse file when I do this so the slot is fuffer for the epoxy to adhere to when I glue up the handle.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
 
The best tool I've seen was about 4 teeth from a power hack saw blade with a handle left on. It's used by draging the teeth on the inside.
Cheaply, Lynn
 
Thanks for the info folks. BubbaBlades,that knife of yours is what I would like to have! I was wondering where you got the leather sheath? Those stock rubber grips on the trailmaster can really become uncomfortable after a very short chopping session. Also, Could someone give me a link to a supply house that has the yellow micarta?---Thanks

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"A six blade Knife will do anything for you"
 
Seaplane- Texas Knifemaker's Supply has butterscotch Micarta, but I don't know if they have blocks of it. www.texasknife.com Also Sheffield's has a great Micarta selection, but no website that I know of.
 
I know that Steve Morseth used a brotch to slot his handles. He made it from 1/4" carbon blade stock. It looks like a rat tail saw but tapers to the tip and with less teeth. He drilled the starter hole 1/4" and began drag cutting the nice square slot to proper size. Sure uses less epoxy this way, in fact some of his models could be disassembled. Bruce
 
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