How To Can it be saved?

Ian Weller

Ian Weller

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Aug 16, 2017
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Hello everyone, I am new to posting on bladeforums so I apologize if I am in the wrong place posting this. I recently forged a "hunting knife" from a piece of leaf spring, I am assuming its 5160 but who knows? Besides a three broken drill bits this has been a fun project. I have yet to heat treat this knife, and haven't really done much grinding yet, but my biggest issue is this atrocious finger well. Somehow I got carried away with the dremel and made it much much wider than I wanted. I am wondering what I can do to fix it at this point? Or if I should go with it, quench and finish the handle, etc.


20201018_173546.jpg
 
Put a harpoon point on it and take the finger well a little further down the handle. The harpoon point will give your thumb a place to rest and will help balance out the transition between handle and blade portions of the knife.
 
Travis_Wright said:
Put a harpoon point on it and take the finger well a little further down the handle. The harpoon point will give your thumb a place to rest and will help balance out the transition between handle and blade portions of the knife.
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Thanks for the feedback. I actually like the harpoon look more. Will post some updated pics when I can. Planning on finishing with osage orange handle.
 
I would two-finger it first then glue some balsa scales on to check the feel in hand before harpooning it because the spine might not be tall enough to harpoon near the handle without making it too thin.
 
fishface5 said:
I would two-finger it first then glue some balsa scales on to check the feel in hand before harpooning it because the spine might not be tall enough to harpoon near the handle without making it too thin.
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Would gorilla glue be overkill for that, and should I go with balsa that's roughly the same width as my scales would be?
 
I would use a couple drops of superglue, that way you can knock the test scales off easily. Don't use too much glue. I think scrap construction lumber will work just as well as balsa wood for this purpose. Just shape the scales roughly on the grinder, won't take but five minutes.
 
Yup you just need them to stay put so you can see how it feels. I would also shape the temporary scales like the final version so the feel will be accurate
 
I have a Helle Temagami bushcraft knife that I put a handle on years ago. It has a half tang. Basically half depth tang that sits in a groove that I cut in the handle. My son did the same knife by making a shim the same thickness of the tang and then used two scales and the shim to make his handle. I'm probably not making any sense. But half tang works.

https://www.canadianoutdoorequipment.com/helle-temagami-knife.html
 
I’m not much for finger wells. I would blend it out completely into a swell in the center of the tang.
 
Hubert S. said:
I would use a couple drops of superglue, that way you can knock the test scales off easily. Don't use too much glue. I think scrap construction lumber will work just as well as balsa wood for this purpose. Just shape the scales roughly on the grinder, won't take but five minutes.
Click to expand...
I work construction so it probably would be easier for me to grab some scrap wood.
 
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