Has anyone rehandled TNT-15 or Free Rein?

FullMetal

FullMetal

Platinum Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2024
Messages
202
I have a few extra TNT-15 and Free Rein blades. I was wondering if anyone has rehandled these blades. Maybe a tsuba and a more traditional handle wrap? I searched the forums but couldn’t find anything. Thanks
 
FullMetal said:
I have a few extra TNT-15 and Free Rein blades. I was wondering if anyone has rehandled these blades. Maybe a tsuba and a more traditional handle wrap? I searched the forums but couldn’t find anything. Thanks
Click to expand...
Hi, would you post the pictures of these blades? I'm curious how their strucutres are inside the Res-C handles. Thanks in advance.
 
0
David Brown said:
I have not seen one.

Go for it :)
Click to expand...
I wish I was capable. I tried a dozen or so similar projects years ago and learned my expectations and ability do not align. I was hopeful someone already had some pictures of the project that I could use as a roadmap to hire someone to do. Someone with the skills to not waste a great blade.
 
I have thought about swapping my regulator handle onto my tnt-15...but I don't know for sure if the internal size's are the same...sure there would be a gap because the regulator handle is a lot shorter...but I could fill that in with some paracord to make it look better...What I think i'm more likely to do ( and a post like this will make me more likely to do it ) is make a paracord cobra stich hand gaurd to really lock your hand into the handle so the tnt-15 doesn't fly out of your hand. I have the paracord...I'm going to find the gumption & do it.
 
O.K. I did it. Boiled the stretch out of my paracord and let it dry over night. I know this isn't really what your thread was about, sorry if im derailing/ hijacking here lol.
1rJGHnP.jpg

Cux3teD.jpg

ybiBKnO.jpg

cDP7NiJ.jpg

mFUQG6R.jpg

QIyAsgX.jpg
 
I do not know any cutlers who do re-handling and making saya and so forth - but there are a few around who do this - they take japanese bare blades (custom or antiques) and give them the full monty - new handles with wood, rayskin, cordwrap - they use antique fittings (tsuba, menuki, habaki, etc) some others do make the fittings new, but it gets very pricey from what I can tell - there is a youtuber who has had this done several times - he calls his cutler the "mystery man in black" - Matthew_Jensen is his name and the channel name - I do not know if he would tell you the name of his guy though - you would have to ask him - but the videos he puts up of the mans work is very nice - he does sometimes sell some of these blades that he has work done on and they get up to $10K or more depending on the blade and the work done to it so it could come out to several times the cost of the original blade to get the work done you are thinking on - and I do not know if they would do it for a non-traditional type blade --- on his channel he has a playlist "Sword Projects" that show the work
 
I thought about have the same things done to a Busse Combat Ruck - the whole shebang - but after seeing some of the things that could be done I realized that I would not have enough money to get it all done and it would have been many times what I paid for it to get it done - many many times
 
I've had two blades with these handles....
I think I was drinking on my second purchase?
Funny, soon after a similar one with a Regulator handle came out. I have this one.

I have a good ability to make handles.
I like this blade. I just haven't made the priority to do it. I have too many other knife projects I'm doing at the moment.

For those of you who want more to grab, I suggest plumber's silicone tape. It comes in a variety of colors. It sticks to itself. Comes off, no damage to the original handle. I used rubber tubbing & silicone tape to build up a comfortable, sizable handle. Ugly as sin, but is pretty cool, too.

IMG_20260325_174915902.jpgIMG_20260325_174933261.jpgIMG_20260325_174947175.jpgIMG_20260325_175018491.jpgIMG_20260325_175037750.jpg
 
T.McGee said:
I do not know any cutlers who do re-handling and making saya and so forth - but there are a few around who do this - they take japanese bare blades (custom or antiques) and give them the full monty - new handles with wood, rayskin, cordwrap - they use antique fittings (tsuba, menuki, habaki, etc) some others do make the fittings new, but it gets very pricey from what I can tell - there is a youtuber who has had this done several times - he calls his cutler the "mystery man in black" - Matthew_Jensen is his name and the channel name - I do not know if he would tell you the name of his guy though - you would have to ask him - but the videos he puts up of the mans work is very nice - he does sometimes sell some of these blades that he has work done on and they get up to $10K or more depending on the blade and the work done to it so it could come out to several times the cost of the original blade to get the work done you are thinking on - and I do not know if they would do it for a non-traditional type blade --- on his channel he has a playlist "Sword Projects" that show the work
Click to expand...
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I am looking for something non traditional with modern handles(g10, micarta, carbon fiber,…)rayskin, cordwrap, tsuba, menuki, habaki. I was hopeful someone on the forums had this in their wheelhouse already. I will probably keep this idea on the back burner until I find the right man for the job.
 
Last edited:
One tricky part is that traditional handles have a bamboo pin through the handle that holds it on, but I don't think there are holes in this tang except for at the butt, so putting on another handle means drilling through the tang. That's what has stopped me from trying to rehandle mine.
 
Chingon1988 said:
I have thought about swapping my regulator handle onto my tnt-15...but I don't know for sure if the internal size's are the same...sure there would be a gap because the regulator handle is a lot shorter...but I could fill that in with some paracord to make it look better...What I think i'm more likely to do ( and a post like this will make me more likely to do it ) is make a paracord cobra stich hand gaurd to really lock your hand into the handle so the tnt-15 doesn't fly out of your hand. I have the paracord...I'm going to find the gumption & do it.
Click to expand...

This thread got me thinking about doung some paracord wraps on my tnt and free reins. Today I finally was ready to get started and cant find the paracord I was gonna use?
Checked my Amazon history and I ordered and received it months ago. So the hunt begins!
 
Pittybull said:
This thread got me thinking about doung some paracord wraps on my tnt and free reins. Today I finally was ready to get started and cant find the paracord I was gonna use?
Checked my Amazon history and I ordered and received it months ago. So the hunt begins!
Click to expand...

doooo itttttt, Paracordplanet & paracordgalaxy are good places to find variety...The youtube channel "Tyingitalltogether" has some very good tutorials too.
 
Chingon1988 said:
doooo itttttt, Paracordplanet & paracordgalaxy are good places to find variety...The youtube channel "Tyingitalltogether" has some very good tutorials too.
Click to expand...

Now its more of a challenge to find the roll i ordered! I found every color but it! Now judging by how messy and disorganized my workbench are and the crap on the floor in front of them. It maybe time to organize the garage!?
Ill do it when the wife's being annoying...well more than normal...! I got a hammock and tv setup in there. So I can make the clean up take a day or 2. Reality is it would maybe take a day to organize and move a few things.
 
FullMetal said:
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I am looking for something non traditional with modern handles(g10, micarta, carbon fiber,…)rayskin, cordwrap, tsuba, menuki, habaki. I was hopeful someone on the forums had this in their wheelhouse already. I will probably keep this idea on the back burner until I find the right man for the job.
Click to expand...

Here's one way you could do it.
Pick the color or colors and style you want to do the handle in.
Then sorce a tsuba.....you can find some cool old ones for decent prices. Flie to fit and then do your cool paracord wrap! You could coat the paracord in marine epoxy. Makes it stiff and grippy. Also helps keep things in place.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top