Cracked Handle Questions

Jaeger

Jaeger

Joined
Feb 27, 1999
Messages
543

Winter has not been kind to my horn handled khuks. My shop 1 15" AK has a small crack that should be easy to repair. Unfortunately my 20" Gelbu Special is in far worse shape. I has several cracks and some of them are quite wide! The chakma handle is also very badly cracked. My question is this; Prior to filling in the cracks with epoxy do you think it would be a good idea to drill out the bottom of the crack to try to stop it from progressing further?
Frankly, I'm a little puzzled as to why the handles cracked in the first place. They have been sitting inside on my dining room table for several weeks now. The temp. never drops below 65 and it is usually around 70 degrees. It must be a humidity thing. I think it'll be wood handles for me from now on!

Mike
 
Welcome to the pack! It seems as though lots of folks have been having problems with handles lately. You hit the nail on the head with the humidity comment. I've had both horn AND wood handles crack on me lately. Drilling a very small 'stop hole' for the crack is a good idea to 'seal' it. There have been posts about people using lanolin based products to keep their horn well lubricated which apparently reduces the tendency to crack in dry weather. Yvsa and others recommend Boiled Linseed oil for the wood handles, Uncle mentioned something about a penetrating epoxy for horn, but I haven't found the details yet. Good luck with the repairs! Uncle is going to be looking for more sources of horn and bone while in Nepal. Seems as thought the more recent shipments have had more problems with cracking.


Rob

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'He's losin' it... (Words spoken about me by a visitor seeing me with my Khuk!)
Lucky for them I'm not...
 
Hey you guys are bad luck, I got my first crack in months. My horn handle on a reject handle developed a crack from the bolter to the ring. After chopping indoors (at work) there was no sign of damage. After expose to the cold from taking it home in the car there was the crack.

Drilling a small hole will help.

Time to get the epoxy and a new syringe out.

Will
 
MOST of mine end up getting fondled til the next one comes along and then get stuck back into the box Uncle shipped it in to protect it. 'Course I put them with their fellow khuks. To date I haven't had any problems, but I'm in the same climate as Uncle.

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Himalayan Imports Website

Himalayan Imports Khukuri FAQ
 
It's times like these I wish the handle was Micarta or G19 - of course then it probably wouldn't be a "true" khukri. Fortunately my WWII only has hairline cracks at the bolster - couldn't force any epoxy in there if I tried.

Then again, there was the thread stating that cracks are natural "stress relief" of the horn?
 
I've been doing something a bit unconventional in that I've been using neatsfoot oil on my wooden handled khuks (as well as on my horn handled khuks). I haven't had a problem with cracking, but I suspect that's because I live in south Louisiana, where the humidity is usually fairly high. But before I put a khukuri away, I always put a heavy coat of the oil on it. What's amazing to me is just how much oil a wooden handle will soak up. For example, on a new khuk, I'll put a heavy coat of oil on it in the morning, and by that evening the handle will be almost dry. An advantage to using the oil on the wood is that, over time, it makes the wood darker and richer in color.

[This message has been edited by Steven F (edited 02-03-2000).]
 
Note concerning epoxies, you can get ones that are elastic and can take strains/impacts. It should be marked on them clearly. This would be what you want on the khukuri handle.

-Cliff
 
The epoxy that I've been using is some industrial stuff that I have for concrete repair. It is tough stuff, and also allows for some flexibility. I spilled some on my pants and didn't remove it. It has gone through the was several times, and I've tried to 'work it' to get it to crack, with no success. The repairs on the AK seem to be very solid, I really abused it last night splitting logs about 16-18" in diameter, including picking up the knife, lodged into the log, and slamming the whole unit onto the chopping block repeatedly to get the log to split. The AK came out unscathed, I can't say that for the log though! I still have about a gallon of this epoxy left, so I think I should be able to keep my Khuks in decent repair... Steven, good tip about the oil, does anyone have an idea if this would be better/worse than treating the handle with boiled linseed oil? Will, sorry if we have jinxed your Khuks! (LOL) Happy epoxying!!!


Rob

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'He's losin' it... (Words spoken about me by a visitor seeing me with my Khuk!)
Lucky for them I'm not...
 
Neatsfoot on wood? Do you also wipe the blade with it and does it prevent rust? Would it work to pour a little into the scabbard to absorb and season it? Then after several times use Yvsa's food grade silicone inside the scabbard? Would I want to eat something cut using a khuk wiped with neatsfoot?

Are neats an endangered species?

Yvsa?

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Himalayan Imports Website

Himalayan Imports Khukuri FAQ

[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 02-03-2000).]
 
I would suggest that all of you hold off on repairing your cracks for awhile.

A few months ago I purchased a Gelbu Special whose horn handle had cracked and been repaired by Kami Sherpa. It is a beautiful knife. It has spent most of the time since then in the fairly stable temperature and humidity of my house. Last night I saw that a new crack had developed that extended ¾ the length of the handle.

Cracking like this is not normal. Fresh horn has some water content. As the horn dries and cures it alters in size and shape. If the horn is whole, that’s fine. If it has been worked, it will probably crack. The curing process can be monitored by carefully weighing the horn. The weight will drop and finally stabilize at a certain value for the dry horn. The process may take many months, and is dependent on the storage temperature and humidity.

I venture to predict that the recent cracking problems have nothing to do with users taking them into “improper” temperatures or humidities. I think it is due to some green horn getting into the HI supply chain recently. I have older HI horn handled khukuris that have held up well in conditions much worse than those in my house.

I spoke to Bill about this, and he is well aware of the problem. He has a couple of ideas to try out in Nepal to ensure a supply of properly cured horn.

What to do? I am going to put my GS in my gun safe for a few months to allow it to stabilize prior to repairing it. It has been repaired once already, and that didn’t stop it from cracking again. I think the existing crack may serve to relieve stress until the horn stabilizes. I won’t return this one to Bill, although I’m sure he would give me full credit, or refund my money if I wished. I’ve grown attached to it. All my knives are users anyway, destined to get scuffed and dinged. The GS was just my latest baby, kind of like a new car without a scratch. I won’t worry about using it (after it’s repaired) now.
 
Thanks Howard, I'll let them sit if they crack any more. You & Bill have probably got it right if it's only the recent horn handles that are cracking. Mine are users also so it doesn't matter that much to me, although I hope Bill fixes the problem while he's in Nepal.
 
I think uncured or not fully cured horn in the recent supply is likely the problem. All my recent horn handle khuks have cracked, some without usage. My older purchases have done well.

I think Howard's advice to sit tight is probably right on, unless one is contemplating replacing the whole handle. I have one or two that may require just that because the cracks are pretty major, enough for me not to fully trust it deep in the woods. Thankfully, I have other khuks I trust to carry me through in those treks.
smile.gif


sing

AKTI #A000356

 
Broken Arrow,

I have had a very severe crack in the wood handle of my 22" Ang Khola. It went from one end of the handle to the other. The Himalayan epoxy held firm and the khukuri worked fine. In fact I did not notice the crack till I got home.

Douglas, reports the Himalayan epoxy cracks at -40 C or -40 F (their equal at -40). He also saids they hold fine till -30 C with a lanolin. I would consider -40 C extremely cold. I have been out in -40 C the rare time we get it here and many things break or do not work.

Thanks for the advice Howard, this may be the solution to a lot of handle problems. Do you think laonlin or hoof treat should be applied before or after "extended" curing.

The AK handle that cracked is a reject that Bill sent me for free, so that I could have a training khukuri. The blade proved to be robust. It had also sat in the trunk of a car for the majority of the time for a few months. Also, it has received hard you and little care (loaned out to a non knife person).

Will

[This message has been edited by Will Kwan (edited 02-03-2000).]
 
Will,

I don’t know the answer to your question about the lanolin. Perhaps if there are any makers out there with experience with horn, they could advise us on the best way to let them cure.
 
:
I think the cracking may be a combination of possibly uncured horn and humidity. I have one of the little village Sirupatis and the horn has shrunk over some period of time.
It hasn't cracked nor have any of my horn handles cracked as of yet.
I have had almost all of my horn handles shrink though and that's why I cme up with the idea of using a file at about a 45* angle right at the edge of butt cap and handle. When the horn shrinks it leaves a very sharp burr on the butt cap. The ones I have filed that way are all fine and I think it makes a nice look to the handle too.

PS I would apply the lanoin product as soon as possible. It would be the same as curing wood with an oil rubbed in to replace the water/sap.
The lanolin would help replace any moisture that may evaporate and keep the horn from shrinking overly much.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

"Know your own bone, gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it again."

'Thoreau'

Khukuri FAQ

[This message has been edited by Yvsa (edited 02-04-2000).]
 
Thanks for all of the replies. I think I'll let them sit until spring then fill the cracks and begin a regular lanolin treatment program.

Mike
 
I rubbed all my horn handled khuks, including the cracked one, down with a lanolin-based hand cleaner last night. It did bring a shine back to some of the older ones, and they seemed to appreciate it. I'll try repairing the crack in 6 months to a year.

Broken Arrow, I don't think the crack in my handle will affect utility much. It might irritate the hand with extended use, but it could be sanded. The handle is still structurally sound.
 
In reference to my earlier post, the reason I use neatsfoot oil instead of linseed oil on my wooden handles (as well as on horn) is because linseed oil is a drying oil. It is mixed with oil paints to aid the drying process. When applied to wood, the linseed oil soaks in a ways, then drys to form a surface film, which, to some degree, limits further absorption. Neatsfoot oil, on the other hand, is a non-drying oil. They both work very well to preserve and protect wood, but each creates a slightly different surface texture. In other words, grasp a handle treated with linseed oil, then grasp a handle treated with neatsfoot oil and you will be able to tell a difference, though it's hard to describe the difference. The neatsfoot oil gives more of a hand-rubbed appearing finish and feel.

For the record, most boiled linseed oil is produced from the oil pressed from the seeds of flax plants to which chemical driers have been added. Neatsfoot oil is made from animal fats and petroleum distallates.

Both work well, it's just a matter of personal preference.
 
I just paid $11 for half a liter of flaxseed oil to use as a dietary supplement. Grrr…

If I could only figure out how to get the driers out of the stuff the hardware store sells…
 
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