Finishing a leather handle

hillbillychuck

hillbillychuck

Joined
Jan 24, 2001
Messages
137
Hey y'all,

I am working on a knife that I have put a leather washer handle on, and I don't know how to finish it. Should I use some sort of sealer or what? Also how do you keep the little grey glue lines from showing in between the washers and the spacers? I used JB Weld to glue it all together.

Thanks,
Chuck
 
I glue mine with clear epoxy, and don't have a problem with it shoeing up.

the leather handled Estwing hammers are put together without glue, and are finished with lacquer.(at least I think it's lac.)

I usualy finish mine with oil, but that turns them dark

If it's a lac. finish I dip the whole handle in, It gives it a thick heavy coat then hang it to dry.

I hope this is helpful EE

as usual I recomend a test piece, finishes can be difficult to remove:eek:
 
Use a clean soft buff and load it with beeswax. This will give you a great looking finish and a nice honey color. It is my preferred method.
 
After you are finished sanding, soak the **** out of it with crazy glue, then buff. Mask off any brass or stainless areas because the glue is a bugger to get off.

Hugh
 
I tried Bruces formula of beeswax and minkoil. I like the way it both stiffens the leather and adds a nice finish.
 
I would try and get in touch with a saddlery and find out what the wax/oil is that they use to treat saddles with. It lasts for years. I have a couple different saddles that pretty much get abused when I'm breaking colts and the finish has really held up. I just got back from a horseshow in texas and went to ryon's saddle shop while I was there and got to see them making saddles. They had some type of oil they were rubbing into a pair of stirrups and it was amazing how much of it they were soaking up. It was closed off behind a window so you couldn't talk to anyone though.It leaves a smooth finish thats not tacky or oily or anything.
 
Thanks for all the replies fellers. Hopefully I will be able to post some pics soon of finished knives. They are some scagle type skinning knives that I made after being inspired by the pic of Jim Behring's bird and trout knife on page 32 of the August issue of blade.

Chuck
 
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