Handle profile advice

T

The Gopher

Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Messages
176
I'm pretty new to this, I've made a few knives, but one thing I can't quite "see" is what looks pleasing to the eye and hand as far as handle shaping. Here is a knife I'm working on, if you guys were working on this knife how would you profile this handle?



 
To start, I would thin the area at the front of the handle. I would taper it, gradually wider, towards the middle of the handle. I would also round it considerably on the corners.

When shaping a handle I hold the handle and pinch the blade with my off hand, by the spine(with edge facing away from my hand), and put rearward pressure on the blade. This simulates the knife being used and allows me to feel the "hot spots" in the handle. Then I sand the hot spots and feel it again. I do this over and over again until it feels good
 
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Looking down from the top, I would make it more of a coke bottle shape, with the thickest part of the palm swell about 1/3 of the distance between the pin and the thong hole back from the pin. Looking from the butt end forward, make the profile a modified oval, with the the dia. of the top of the oval about 1.5 times the dia. of the of the bottom of the oval. Since you have a good looking knife there, it might be worth making a handle of scrap wood and checking my suggestion for comfort. My suggestions fit my hand. BTW, nice knife.

Tim
 
Nice work. I would finish sand it smooth (600+) and either poly or oil finish the wood. Then I would sno seal the knife handle. This will darken the wood and waterproof the knife. Just some ideas.
 
Looks good. Now taper the front of the scales back about 10* and round them like you did the back of the scales and finish with some sort of oil finish. There are all kinds of posts on here about how to finish a knife handle. Try looking at "wood information" on the www.burlsource.com. website.

Tim
 
I'm a noob so I could easily be wrong. But it appears to me that you may have taken a bit more off the left scale (upper scale in the picture) than the right scale...lower side of your picture. If so you might need to take a bit more off the right side.

I like the look of your knife and the wood you used on the handle is beautiful. Spalted wood is so cool.
 
The 90 degree angle in the front of the scale is the biggest visual obstacle I think. It's been mentioned, but before you attach the scales, give that some radius. It's hard to get rid of that blocky feel if its a 90 degree angle at the front of the scale.
 
Basic shape is greatly improved. The front of the scales is the biggest problem now. As said, a little rounding back is good. I would not try to change it now, because it is very difficult to do it evenly and without scratching the blade. Just re-do the chamfers along the front edge as they were in the first photos and you are good to go.
 
I am pleased with it, I learn something new with each knife and having fun! Thanks everyone for advice!
 
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