Handles

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WarLord Xingi

Joined
Jan 4, 2006
Messages
5
hey guys,
I'm new to making knives and this seemed like the apropriate place to come. I was wondering what would be the ideal handle material, I saw in some other threads that people have micarta or wood.
Just wondering if there was a significant difference.

Ben
 
Do you want practical or beautiful ? Micarta is very durable but ugly. Fancy grain wood is very beautiful but not so durable .Then you could use stabilized wood which is durable and beautiful . Stabilized wood is wood that has been vacuum impregnated with acrylic .No finish needed, you don't worry about getting it wet .
 
Most of you guys aren't old enough to understand this comment,but....
Perfect handles are like perfect wives.Some guys think Cheryl Tiggs is the perfect one,others think Hazel Burke.Depends on what you want her to do.
 
Some micarta is pretty nice. I like Ivory, not sure they still make it? I have some left over from the 80s.

You can only come up with the ideal by specifying what the task is. What do you have in mind for it.
 
bladsmth said:
Perfect handles are like perfect wives.Some guys think Cheryl Tiggs is the perfect one,others think Hazel Burke.Depends on what you want her to do.
Click to expand...

That was one hot maid's outfit, wasn't it? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
Fitzo, Us guys of the 50's grew up wishing for Hazel and lusting after Annet.
 
it would be for a survival knife, generally used for outback, heavy work, im not really trying to show off with it, i just need something that will last and not give blisters the size of pancakes before lunch
 
Try micarta.It is tough,and doesn't look bad.Works easy.There are dozens of colors and such.
 
If you'll remember looking at mom's and grandma's kitchen knives, the ones that have soaked for years and decades in dish water, you will probably remember oak, hichory, and some cherry, and maybe a walnut or more. I like wood myself. Many of my knife owners prefer such material as micarta. I like those too. My heart belongs to wood. Many a Grandma's oak scale knives are still in use today. Luster not any more but not so swelled either. My heart belongs to natural.

RL
 
if i do use wood, what kind of treatment should i do to it? Would it be better just to sand it and not stain it, or should i coat it in some kind of resin?
 
Just remember...

Knives in general, especially those with wood handles, never belong in a dishwasher.

Craig
 
WarLord Xingi said:
if i do use wood, what kind of treatment should i do to it? Would it be better just to sand it and not stain it, or should i coat it in some kind of resin?
Click to expand...

Stains are used to change the appearance of the wood not protect it. I personally like a melted beeswax finish. It's just what it sounds like, melt beeswax into the blade, it can be burnished to a high sheen or left kind of dull. Several coats can be applied and reapplying is simple. The excess is easy to remove either wiping while still warm or scraping cold or letting it set in a 200 F oven for a bit.
Some people like a hardening oil (danish, tung, linseed), I think it's harder to achieve good results without making the handle slick. YMMV Slick handles tend to wear blisters and be hard to hold onto.

ron
 
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