help finishing Tsukamaki

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kwakn

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Oct 17, 2009
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I'm thinking of wrapping a small knife handle in traditional Tsukamaki style with 1/4" flat nylon over some TBD substrate. Also contemplating a turks head (nylon) as the finger guard.

I'm trying to come up with a recipe for permanence.

I've read about soaking the nylon in epoxy resin (Spyderco Kumo/RJ Martin MantaRay etal) before applying and also about heat treating (baking?:confused: the flame thrower didn't work) the nylon once wrapped to "fix" it in place.

My questions are:
1. Any hardware store epoxy resin?
2. How long do you soak the cord? or just try to work it in?
3. At the risk of sounding stupid...with or without a hardening agent?(:o ducking....) the answer to which will actually give clues to item 2
4. Can you bake it? If so, can you share the recipe? Trial and error has a way of making nasty messes and I only have one oven...that my wife loves and uses daily...

Thoughts appreciated.
 
kwakn said:
I'm thinking of wrapping a small knife handle in traditional Tsukamaki style with 1/4" flat nylon over some TBD substrate. Also contemplating a turks head (nylon) as the finger guard.

I'm trying to come up with a recipe for permanence.

I've read about soaking the nylon in epoxy resin (Spyderco Kumo/RJ Martin MantaRay etal) before applying and also about heat treating (baking?:confused: the flame thrower didn't work) the nylon once wrapped to "fix" it in place.

My questions are:
1. Any hardware store epoxy resin?
2. How long do you soak the cord? or just try to work it in?
3. At the risk of sounding stupid...with or without a hardening agent?(:o ducking....) the answer to which will actually give clues to item 2
4. Can you bake it? If so, can you share the recipe? Trial and error has a way of making nasty messes and I only have one oven...that my wife loves and uses daily...

Thoughts appreciated.
Click to expand...

Tie your handle first, then impregnate the handle with the epoxy resin/hardener mix with a cheap acid brush. Don't try to impregnate the loose cord and then try tieing on. Will be a mess !


1. You can use devcon 30 minute epoxy thinned down with some acetone which will give a sorta shiny appearance or go for the more expensive brands of epoxies like West System (which I use on my knives). Has very low viscosity and will appear as if no resin is on the handle at all unless you put multiple coats. Will dry super hard and be super durable and will NOT unravel.

2. Impregnating the cord with say 1 layer will be enough to keep the handle in place. Wait till it's completely cure before handling. Definitely atleast 10 hours unless you use some ghetto 5 minute epoxy which is really thick.

3. Epoxy resin needs an epoxy hardener (otherwise it won't do jack and just piss you off !) 30 minute epoxy comes with it all in one tube/syringe generally. Only the pricey stuff (West system, system 3) come without the hardener which must be purchased seperately because of the different cure times they offer depending on hardener chosen.

4. No need to "BAKE" it. just let it dry on its own.

Using an open flame to the epoxy resin will likely just cause it to catch fire !

DO NOT USE LOCTITE epoxy as that stuff doesn't seem to want to cure even 15 days later ! :)
 
Leu - much appreciated!

Where do you source your wrap material? The only thing I found was something called nylon drawcord. http://www.naturub.com/woven-draw-cords.html

The knife is going to be a working knife...not something to sit on the mantle. My opinion is you can have form AND function. Oriental art was always appealing.

Having said that...any thoughts (ease of use/construction) on an underlayment?...traditional same stingray/shark, neo - pebble grain pigskin (Steeler fan:-), lizard, snake...just to be different)
 
kwakn said:
Leu - much appreciated!

Where do you source your wrap material? The only thing I found was something called nylon drawcord. http://www.naturub.com/woven-draw-cords.html

The knife is going to be a working knife...not something to sit on the mantle. My opinion is you can have form AND function. Oriental art was always appealing.

Having said that...any thoughts (ease of use/construction) on an underlayment?...traditional same stingray/shark, neo - pebble grain pigskin (Steeler fan:-), lizard, snake...just to be different)
Click to expand...

Try googling "Flat Nylon Cord"

This result will come up a lot. I like this type of thinner cord.

http://www.nwbackpack.com/products/flat_nylon_lace.php

that is obviously only one seller that carries it. Look for the best price as they vary for the same exact thing !

I have also uses laces (boot and athletic) from lacesforless.com bought in gross yard (432 feet) or longer from them for the past several years. They carry thinner lace material which i started using till i discovered a hiker lace material (which is about twice as heavy) and they have a WIDE lace that is also heavier.

I have used stingray, bull frog, leather, round cording of many types (cotton, nylon, rayon, etc) for the underwraps. I have yet to try any snake because there's never been a request for it. I use contact cement to glue down any underlay material (unless it's cord which i just wrap around the tang.)

Any other questions email me at: jack.76@cox.net

if you want to do a lot of this, invest in a good two part system epoxy like West System (I use 105 Resin and 207 Hardener) or Systems 3 (which I have not used but a lot of the professional makers use)

Would also help to fill out your Profile as some makers are more likely to help you out if you take the time to fill it out. Especially what state and city you live in. Don't fill out your exact address ! :)
 
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You can take much of the shine out of the epoxy by dabbing it with a washed towel after you are finished. DO NOT use a fresh towel, use one that has been washed and dried or you will spend several hours picking out bits of towel from your wrap.
 
Leu,
Profile updated. All insightful. Thanks. I'm not planning on doing many of these but will take your advice on the epoxy. I was just in the market for a fixed blade. One thing led to another and I may have the opportunity to finish off a blade handle or two.

I'm a tinkerer and like projects. A mantel (hemlock) for my fireplace; a bench (yellow pine) for my mudroom out of 100 yr old stock from a local company that reclaims timbers and beams from old barns. So one day, a customer of mine tells me about wanting to buy a tomahawk and couldn't find what he wanted so he decided to make it himself. CPM3V, found someone to triple temper it properly and water jet the geometry then he'll grind it and make the sheath. I asked him what he was going to do with the scrap which is what led me to this forum.
 
AcridSaint,
It's the little things that make all the difference in the final results. Thanks.
 
kwakn said:
Leu,
Profile updated. All insightful. Thanks. I'm not planning on doing many of these but will take your advice on the epoxy. I was just in the market for a fixed blade. One thing led to another and I may have the opportunity to finish off a blade handle or two.

I'm a tinkerer and like projects. A mantel (hemlock) for my fireplace; a bench (yellow pine) for my mudroom out of 100 yr old stock from a local company that reclaims timbers and beams from old barns. So one day, a customer of mine tells me about wanting to buy a tomahawk and couldn't find what he wanted so he decided to make it himself. CPM3V, found someone to triple temper it properly and water jet the geometry then he'll grind it and make the sheath. I asked him what he was going to do with the scrap which is what led me to this forum.
Click to expand...

Well then hopefully you'll have a boat that needs repair work ! I think the minimum amount of epoxy resin is a quart + the 10 oz hardener ! lol.
 
I prefer System Three clear cost. It is thin and cures without any yellow. It works well over nylon, cotton, or silk.
You can make a suitable nylon wrap by pulling the core out of paracord.
Epoxy won't make up for a bad tsukamaki job. Wrap it tight, and make sure all the spaces and folds are adjusted before you apply the resin.
You can get a variety of ito ( and other supplies) from:
http://www.shadowofleaves.com/konnichiwa.htm (main page)
http://www.shadowofleaves.com/tsuka-ito.htm (ito page)

Stacy
 
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