Handle Size

A

AlaskanHunter

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Nov 23, 2013
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How do you select a handle size for your knives? Is there a good "rule of thumb" for a comfortable grip? I have a few friends who want me to make a basic drop point hunter for them. When they looked at a few knives I've made, they all commented that the handles felt a bit short. Since my hands are on the small size of average, this isn't surprising, but when I lengthen the handles in my sketches and mock-ups, they look and feel off. What do you guys do? What is your average handle length for a drop-point hunter with 3.5-4.5" blade? :confused:
 
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valknut said:
4in is about average from I've seen/read. Remember everything looks bigger on paper.
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That's what I thought, and yes it does look bigger on paper. When I make a comfortable handle (for me) just by how it feels, it usually ends up 3.75" to 4.25".
How much do you worry about the "balanced look" of the handle-to-blade length ratio?
 
I clean up my sketches in Adobe Illustrator and do proportion tweaks there. I print it out and check the size against my hand. I have a similar issue. I have big hands. So handles I make to fit my hands may be a bit long for some people. Sometimes it's a careful balance making the handle a good size for a hand as well as being well proportioned to the blade.
 
I hold a knife with a simular handle and measure it to have a start.
Then I make it smaller/larger as I see fit
 
I will typically go to 5". I always ask if the person how big his hands are so I need to know if I need to make them a bit bigger but 5" seems to be a good length where you wont run into too many people having issues with that. I think its always better to have too much than too little.
 
i would use 4"- 4.5" handle for a drop point hunter ( not including the guard). hold a ruler in your hand to check what feels right to you, or the customer.
 
BKT said:
I will typically go to 5". I always ask if the person how big his hands are so I need to know if I need to make them a bit bigger but 5" seems to be a good length where you wont run into too many people having issues with that. I think its always better to have too much than too little.
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agreed... and if I'm not sure, I put on gloves. if it still feels comfortable in gloves then you shouldn't have any trouble unless you're making a knife for bigfoot
 
I like 4.25 in general,
but as said the overall balance is very important
I'm learning it's very subtle differences between an average knife and a knife that looks striking

I'm also doing some work with bondo filler to learn the shape of the hand better.

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The distance across the knuckles should be the minimum. ~4" .For a chopper I'd add at least 1" to that.
 
HSC /// said:
I like 4.25 in general,
but as said the overall balance is very important
I'm learning it's very subtle differences between an average knife and a knife that looks striking

I'm also doing some work with bondo filler to learn the shape of the hand better.

e75ead19ece9d50abb2507a979ed5dc7.jpg
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I planned on doing the same thing but with play dough.

OP if you are ever in doubt just post a picture up here we love pictures:) but just look at it honestly if YOU don't like it and wouldn't buy it, change it
 
Thanks guys, this gives me some things to think about. As for pictures, I tried to put some up right after my last comment, but the internet went out just as I was loading the last photo. Bush Alaska internet, hate it, but at least we have it.
The original knife, feels great to me, but almost everyone else says that it's too small in the handle.
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New blade with slightly stretched handle and shortened blade (per friend's request).
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And this is why the first knife isn't shiny new any more. Nice young tender moose for our winter supply of meat. It was a good hunt and the knife performed very well.
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length of 4.5" to 5" should work for most folks, didn't say thickness which is a factor also. I use different weight woods to help balance the knife, maple and walnut are light weight when compared to canarywood or black locust.
scott
 
Well, I have to suggest that the size of the handle depends on the purpose of the blade. For an edc I like a 3 finger handle with my index and thumb up over the blade. A chopper would need to be 4+ fingers for control as well as a Bowie. The handle for me needs to balance the knife.
 
I always make the length of the handle at least a 1/2" longer than the width of the client's hand. I measure their upheld hand against mine and figure from there. Too many makers make handles too short. A knife is a tool and needs a handle long enough for unexpected chores.
 
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