Decisions, Decisions... Theater Knife Handle Revisited

Plexiglass or Micarta?

  • Plexiglass

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Micarta

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
ddavelarsen

ddavelarsen

Joined
Dec 7, 2000
Messages
5,179
Okay folks I'm about to start building the handle for my theater knife and a while back I asked for opinions about whether I should opt for the traditional plexiglass washer handle or a more contemporary Micarta washer handle. If I can figure out how to do it I'll post a poll to get some objective one-or-the-other type answers. :D I'm planning to use steel, brass and copper as well as fiber washers along with the plexiglass or micarta. The guard and pommel will be 416 SS. Lemme hear your ideas please, thank you.
 
Choice of materials depends. Doesn't it always?
If you are building it for theatre use it must be 'actor proof', which goes at least one step beyond fool proof. As much unbreakable and as bright as possible. Remember it will always be under harsh lighting.
If Theatre Knife is just a title, not a use, ignore the preceeding.
Lynn :)
 
Dave, I would think plexi-glass would be more authentic looking, if there is such a thing with theater knives. I've never seen one with micarta but there are so many variations I'd bet at least several were made with something that looked like it.
 
I say do what ever pleases your eye. All the materials you listed could and have been used on them during the war years. Micarta was used in the auto industry since the 20's, so used be ok using it. The nice thing about Theater knives is that there are no real hard and fast rules about design, just let your mind flow and see what you come up with.

Personally I like the clear and red plexiglass with aluminum combinations.
 
As far as Theater knives go just about everything under the sun was used for handles. I have a few with both the materials you are talking about in the handles...some with all plexi...some all Micarta....stacked leather. I even have one with a handle of plumbing or hydraulic washers with a BIG wing nut for the guard. One feature I like with the plexi is that after you drill the hole for the tang you can then countersink with a larger bit...do this on one side of the plexie washer then do another one...when you put them together it will look like a disk or (ufo) in the handle...you can also paint the counter sunk hole red or whatever and then it will look like a red disk from the outside. If you want my opinion one way or the other I would say an all plexi handle looks better than all Micarta....But I do like the combo of both.
I would also like to suggest that when you make a knife like this that you include someplace on the knife the year that it was made...you don't want something like that confused for an original.....I think it would also go along with the theme, lots of theater knives were marked with the year.

Lynn,
A theater knife is a hand made knife made in a theater of war...such as the European theater or the Pacific theater. This kind of knife was probably made in every war there has ever been, but the most popular and what I think we are talking about specifically would be WWII era.

Hope all this helps(and makes sense).
Love to see a pic when it's done!
Mace
 
Thanks for all the replies. I think you've confirmed my own feelings about this one, which is to use plexiglass. I've been thinking about making a theater knife ever since I scored all this plexi at a garage sale several years ago. So I guess it's a no-brainer, really. But you know, I hadn't considered that Micarta would have been available in WWII; I sure have never seen one made using it. So I guess I'm going to have to make another... :D That way I can justify the poll results too, which has Micarta at two-to-one right now.

And Mace thanks for your excellent definition of what theater knife means. When I started reading Lynn's suggestion I was trying to think how'd I'd describe it in a few words and you just nailed it. Excellent, thanks.

Lynn, I know what you mean about making the details large - I've done very limited costuming but one video taught me that lesson in a, ahem, "big" way... :rolleyes: :D
 
Between the two I would go with the plexi, it is to be a modern remake of a theater knife after all.

But a better choice might be clear polycarb. Just a thought.
 
Thanks for reminding me. When I read your post I remembered it used in that connection. Color me embarassed!
Lynn

Mace said:
Lynn,
A theater knife is a hand made knife made in a theater of war...such as the European theater or the Pacific theater. This kind of knife was probably made in every war there has ever been, but the most popular and what I think we are talking about specifically would be WWII era.

Hope all this helps(and makes sense).
Love to see a pic when it's done!
Mace
Click to expand...
 
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