Has Anyone Experimented With Tire Rubber as a Handle Mat'l.?

redsquid2

redsquid2

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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Aug 31, 2011
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I guess getting it to adhere and stay flat would be the challenge. Then there is the steel belts you would have to deal with, unless you are using a bicycle tire (cotton or nylon belts).

I would like to know. I did not get any results on a forum-specific search, but I saw a production knife somewhere with "tire rubber" listed as the handle material.

Thanks.

Andy
 
As tim37a mentioned rubber horse mat works quite well. I know quite a few of the big knives used in cutting competition use rubber horse mat for their handles.

I bought a 4X8 piece for my shop floor for like $50.00. So you could make it do double duty. Some for your floor and some for your handles.
 
Do you want rubber handle material or handle material with a tread pattern ?
The steel belts are in the tire casing which can be separated from the tread.
 
A bicycle tread might be cool on a handle, as long as it isn't too knobby.
 
Horse stall mat

but it constantly rubs off black in your hands.

Freeze it to grind it.

Getting a nice finish is difficult.
 
First let me say I've ever tried this, but I see no reason why a section of a timing belt or a supercharger drive belt belt, wouldn't work.
They have ribs on one side and somewhat flat on the other. You can probably pick up an old one at most garages for free.
You may have to degrease a used one. I'm not sure how many runs a drag racers make before they replace the blower drive belts but I imagine they do it quite frequently, so if you have any drag racing buddies you might start there.
Jim A
 
I wonder if you could shred it then epoxy and make scales that way... Hmmm :)
 
Look at rubber used for (re)soling shoes.
Many colours and profiles.
I used to make orthopaedic shoes and have thrown away more then I could ever have used on knives
 
All kidding aside, I use the thick neoprene that is sold by several of the knifemakers. It is easier to work with than horse stall matting and doesn't rub off on your hands. It has just the right amount of firmness, too.
 
What does everyone use to cut/slice these materials with? And so they sand and shape well?
 
The band saw does it nicely.
Use a good grade epoxy and dye it black.
Sand with belts up to 400 grit.
Use a slower speed.
If yu are having problems shaping it, put the knife in the freezer for a few hours and then shape the handle.
 
The rubber that tires are made from, NBR if I recall, can be purchased in the sheet form. I have had success laminating it to Micarta and making scales from that. It is a very effective handle material and with good surface prep can be bonded with epoxy all though super glue might be more common.

20200115_205735.jpg
 
I knew a guy who made a stick tang knife with a handle made from stacked pieces of timing belt. The interlocking teeth looked quite striking.
 
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