Handle material

George Azar

George Azar

Joined
Apr 18, 2017
Messages
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I have a question or wanting opinions please. Which would you consider the most durable handle material? Wood or horn?
I would insert antler but since it's not as common on Khukris, just wood or horn?
Thank you!
George
 
Seems that the wood lasts a bit longer as the horn is prone to cracking. But the horn feels wonderful.
Personally, though, I love the feel of wood after working on wood floors for the first half of my life. I'd LOVE to make an antler handle though! That sounds fun.
 
Jamiel said:
Seems that the wood lasts a bit longer as the horn is prone to cracking. But the horn feels wonderful.
Personally, though, I love the feel of wood after working on wood floors for the first half of my life. I'd LOVE to make an antler handle though! That sounds fun.
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I think I have a antler handle Ang Khola on the way! I would love more of them in antler as I know it to be pretty durable material!
Thank you
 
Terotuf, Micarta, Resiprene, Kraton, polypropylene, paracord, wood, and leather are a few of the most durable handle materials that are commonly used on knives. As far as I know, Himalayan Imports blades never use the most durable handle materials, but I have seen people take a full-tang chiruwa ang khola and replace the original weak handle materials with modern durable handle materials.
 
kookery said:
Terotuf, Micarta, Resiprene, Kraton, polypropylene, paracord, wood, and leather are a few of the most durable handle materials that are commonly used on knives. As far as I know, Himalayan Imports blades never use the most durable handle materials, but I have seen people take a full-tang chiruwa ang khola and replace the original weak handle materials with modern durable handle materials.
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That's good to know! I've got several I would love to put black micarta on or deer antler.
 
Anyone done some thread or photo's on a handle replacement for Chir Ang Khola? Seems basic with pins I imagine. I've never really done a handle replacement.
 
Yangdu is currently seeking antler to send over to Nepal for the Kami's to use for handles. I'm sending her down some as I had a friend give me some just last week. I was in antler heaven but I'll share the majority of it with her.
With knife handles the material used isn't as important as the attachment. It's not like your gonna swap ends and beat on something with the handle. Also with Chiruwa handles in addition to being pinned they are also laha'd or epoxied so they are solid, unlike a gun grip that needs to be removeable.

If anybody has deer or elk antler Yangdu could put it to good use. She said it can be cut into 5 or 6" pieces. I figure I'll go about the 6 as much as I can to give the kami's a little leeway in making handles.

Antler handles are kind of tough, as the size and shape of the antler determines what it will fit. Most don't have very thick outside coating before you get to the marrow. A good knife handle won't show much of that inner stuff. It don't hurt anything, it just looks better if it's all the outside skin.
I just super glue coat any inner marrow that is exposed.
The trick is finding the right piece for the handle you want to hang it on.
 
kookery said:
I remember first seeing LastVisibleCanary posting photos about it. You might be able to find his posts with a search.
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Here's that thread, plus a couple other links:

Black Linen Micarta slabs on a CAK
http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/...y-ak-this-time-in-black-linen-micarta.942821/

G-10 slabs
http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/ultimate-fighter-g-10-rehandle.771649/

Ang Khola with stacked leather washers
http://www.daverishar.com/Rehandle/Rehandle.html

By the way, the "satisal" hardwood used for many HI knives is a type of rosewood, is this considered "weak"?
 
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I ta
Bawanna said:
Yangdu is currently seeking antler to send over to Nepal for the Kami's to use for handles. I'm sending her down some as I had a friend give me some just last week. I was in antler heaven but I'll share the majority of it with her.
With knife handles the material used isn't as important as the attachment. It's not like your gonna swap ends and beat on something with the handle. Also with Chiruwa handles in addition to being pinned they are also laha'd or epoxied so they are solid, unlike a gun grip that needs to be removeable.

If anybody has deer or elk antler Yangdu could put it to good use. She said it can be cut into 5 or 6" pieces. I figure I'll go about the 6 as much as I can to give the kami's a little leeway in making handles.

Antler handles are kind of tough, as the size and shape of the antler determines what it will fit. Most don't have very thick outside coating before you get to the marrow. A good knife handle won't show much of that inner stuff. It don't hurt anything, it just looks better if it's all the outside skin.
I just super glue coat any inner marrow that is exposed.
The trick is finding the right piece for the handle you want to hang it on.
Click to expand...
lked with Ms Yangdu about getting antler handles. She found a Ang Khola with one and I bought it. Said most of the deer have been killed in that region and all the Kamis can make are smaller knives because of the antlers available. That's why she's requesting larger antler to make the larger knives with! I use to have some as I'd supply to some of the local bladesmiths. I always wanted larger knives made for me!
 
George Azar said:
I ta

lked with Ms Yangdu about getting antler handles. She found a Ang Khola with one and I bought it. Said most of the deer have been killed in that region and all the Kamis can make are smaller knives because of the antlers available. That's why she's requesting larger antler to make the larger knives with! I use to have some as I'd supply to some of the local bladesmiths. I always wanted larger knives made for me!
Click to expand...
First words should be, I talked. Sorry typo!
 
Here in VA I certainly have access to antlers. I'll ask around and see if I can send some to Yangdu in exchange for some hatchet honing or something. Also, Thanks Steve Tall for those other links. I'm REALLY taken back by the leather handles as of lately, but are they very strong and/or weather resistant in comparison to wood/antler or even g10/micarta?

I'll probably take on a sort of stacked bone/antler handle the more I think about it. Maybe experiment with wood first on different knife. Take slabs and arrange them in certain orders for color variance.
 
"By the way, the "satisal" hardwood used for many HI knives is a type of rosewood, is this considered "weak"?"

I don't think any of the HI handles are weak. Maybe compared to some of the man made stuff they are weaker but none are soft or weak.
Sastisal is quite strong and dense. Horn is even denser and harder, just more prone to cracking due to climate changes.

Bamboo root, we've seen a lot of lately is extremely tough.

Putting G10 or Micarta etc on a khukri is like messing with mother nature to me.
 
I agree Bawanna. If it is a stainless steel "barstock" ground knife then I'm ok with it man made handles.
But the hammer forged old way just seems like the right thing to do is natural made material!
Like a hamburger and French fries not baked potato!
 
I guess I'm back to my original question? Which material is the most durable, wood or horn?
I'm asking because I'm new to the Khukri. I've got handmade knives that I got made for me 35-45 yrs ago. Varying from wood to antler. Many woods I have are desert ironwood and rosewood. And of course deer antler!
 
I'm down with that. I agree as well, which is why I'm reluctant to make a Kydex sheath. And even if I DO make a Kydex sheath I'll end up wrapping it in leather. haha :P
I'll probably do a leather/antler/or wood handle. The concept of G10 or Micarta didn't interest me enough BUT the idea of stackin on hidden tangs did. I will probably slice up several layers and make a bone/wood combo or something.
Or maybe just an all leather one. But I wonder how well all leather would do on the ocean for island hopping. Then again the steel will need care on the open ocean anyway.
 
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