Depression sets in--let my handles crack

S

Shann

Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
5,250
With all the stuff about knife care recently I pulled out my horn handled khuks to take a look at. I hadn't had them out all year nor had I oiled (mineral) them last year. To my horror, the horn handles were all cracked to one degree or another. My user WWII had a few cracks not a big deal because its been used hard and won't win any beauty contests but my nice bilton with a pretty gray and white handle had a big "real" crack, not a hairline crack in it and several other unused ones had a number of little cracks on the handles.

The bone handled knives seemed to fair better, although a couple of them had minor flaking.

The wooden handle ones looked okay, but I am pulling them all out for inspection this week.

I've coated them all in mineral oil and hopefully it won't effect them any more. Luckily, my "fancier" khuks and swords are all wooden handled so I think I avoided total disaster.

Hopefully, this will be a good reminder to all to maintain your equipment even if you aren't using them.
 
Horn is subject to internal stress in its natural condition. Environmental changes can result in cracks to relieve that stress. Once it has cracked and been properly repaired with superglue, it is no longer subject to internal stress. Further environmental changes will not cause it to crack again. The first HI khukuri I bought from Uncle Bill in 1999 was a "blem" that had been returned when the horn handle cracked. He repaired the crack with superglue and sold the "blem" to me at a big discount. That "blem" has taken everything I could subject it to, did a tour in Iraq with Sarge, and is still going strong. Superglue is a horn handle's best friend.
 
Geeze, 174 views and not one "I feel your pain" or "you're an idiot".

I'm going to try the superglue fix, we'll see how it works.
 
No problem. Just re-handle them.
All handles are temporary things.
Try a nice walnut, maple or birch.
Post a photo or 9.
 
Don't think that your wood handles are any less prone to crack than the horn. They are both natural materials that change as they dry out and move between environments.

Don't let depression set in - fix your handles, rest assured that they are done reacting to the environment (or that you've learned how to repair small cracks) and be happy.
 
What is required to "stabilize" natural materials such as horn, wood, bone, ivory, etc?
 
To truly "stabilize" it is beyone my knowledge (impregnated with resin?) but a home user can treat wood or horn so that it will last a lifetime. For wood penetrating oils that harden like Boiled Linseed Oil or Tung Oil (thinned with spirits and applied over time like every day for a week, every week for a year, every year forever) or a blend like Tru-Oil. For horn my strategy has been to keep it "conditioned" with mineral oil or hooflex more so than "stabliized".

It's not a guarantee against cracking but nothing is 100%.

If it cracks, fix the crack and keep treating it.
 
I appreciate this reminder posting. Normal maintenance is probably one of the most ignored things by a vast majority of people in many things. I have five wonderful HI items with horn or deer antler handles that I am now soaking in mineral oil before trouble sets in. No way that I want to have trouble with the beautiful horn handle on my monstrous 26" CAK. I added annual reminders to do this on my spring and fall to do lists (I was headed into stupid territory too).

For wood handles this will be a busier project. Has anybody tried Cutler's Resin (pine tar, beeswax and carnauba wax). You melt the stuff together and dip the handle into it and let it bubble and soak its way into all of the little nooks and crannies. This same material is used to waterproof the insides of wooden canteens. I am seriously considering giving this stuff a try. Apparently this is also a very old form of adhesive to help hold knife and sword handles together. Perhaps this is an old western world equivalent to laha only it smells much nicer!
 
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