How do you determine the handle length - fixed blade?

D

dextersp1

Joined
Jun 1, 2007
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I'm not a blade maker. I'm just curious as to how you determine the handle lenght for a fixed blade knife?

Here is an example from my point of view.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Hunting-shooting/Knives/Hunting-knives/auction-202226271.htm

Blade length 3 7/8"
Handle length 5 2/8"
Overall lenght 9 1/8"

To me, ascetically, a 4" handle would look good.
Usage wise 4" works great also for me.

When buying gloves - I buy Large
When grabbing a ruler, the inside measurement is 4".
I can see a 4 1/2" as a good size for a handle also.

I can understand that a smaller blade - under 3" - might have a small handle

So, what is the criteria knife makers used for determining the length of the handle for a fixed blade knife?

FYI - two things that really annoy me about fixed blade knives:
1. Handle longer than needed
2. All the exposed blade not sharpened
 
I don't measure handle length before shaping the profile, first I cut a blank profile from cardboard or wood and put temporary scales of clay and roughly shape them. I play with the shape of handle until it feels perfectly comfortable, if it is a kitchen knife that will be used by a woman I give it to mom and she shapes until it is comfortable to grip it. If it is hidden tang I mostly put clay directly to the knife tang and play with the shape. The length usually don't go below ~4" (10 cm). But for small knives that are gripped from the bolster area with two fingers, i.e. paring/fruit knives handle can be comfortable as low as 3 1/4" if the body of the handle is fat. General rule for me fat + short or thin + long are both applicable...
 
I make them so they fit the hand that I imagine will hold them. I like my hand to rest snugly between each end. That is between the guard or whatever defines the front of the handle and the pommel or swell or whatever is at the rear. Kitchen knives are a little different as the handles vary with the task. ie. a paring knife handle can be shorter because of the way you roll it around in your hand in use. Aethetics play a part, but within the range of useability.
That my 2 cents.:)
Alden
 
For me, the general rule is that knife handles are 4 1/4" to 4 3/4" for hunters, and no longer than 5" for larger knives. The key is proportions.....if it doesn't "look" right on the given knife, then it likely won't feel or work good either. Being "ham fisted", I often take knives to my Mrs. for critique.....what fits/feels good to me usually elicits "thats too big" from her. In my experience, if I make a handle that she likes, then it will also work for about most folks.

Don't get too wrapped up in exact measurements.....Balance and proportion are far more important.
 
A reason for a longer handled knife can be to get reach in certain circumstances and be able to choke up for fine cutting in others. Unless a knife is designed for only one purpose, there's no way to tell what's going to be too long for one person. I don't measure anything on a fixed blade unless I have to fit within a certain dimension for material or specification, or I need to tell someone what size something is. I usually just make them until they seem right to me.
 
i agree with Mr. Caffrey, ......well not exactly about being HAM fisted...haha that was funny stuff. Though i do have some short stubby paws.

Anyway i agree mostly with the last part, that balance and proportion are far more important, that measuring, I do alot of measuring, but I almost never measure out a the length of a blade or handle. Unless it's ordered to a specific size, other than that I just build what feels good.
 
I can't really add much to what's been said. I don't measure anything specifically until I'm writing the specs down when it's done... For short bladed knives (<3") I do make an effort to make a handle that is maybe a tad smaller, and make extra effort to have the shape blend into the blade well. Ergonomics come before beauty, though. For longer blades I generally want them to have a little extra room for maneuvering. Medium blades fall somewhere in between the two.
 
Your grip measures 4" across in a fist style push away from you cutting grip. Hold a ruler like you hold a steak knife, and it changes the number significantly. Different grips need a different handle length. Extra handle is a bonus. It allows you more ways to grip the knife safely and comfortably.
 
I agree with the others about building it to "look right," the farthest I usually go into precisely measuring handle dimensions unless I'm working from a standard pattern is considering who it will be for, is their hand bigger than mine, etc. Then take the block before trimming it down and play with it, guaging visually to a comfortable, slightly generous length, shifting my grip a bit because like Fiddleback says, your grip length will change depending on how you hold the knife. A bit of extra handle is indeed a bonus if the proportion looks and feels right, as I feel it is better to have a bit too much handle to work with than too little. I made a pig hunting bowie for a friend once, only to almost have him pass on it as a finished product due to his hand being a little wider than I had estimated when shaping the grip. I am more careful since then. The upside was that his GF stole the knife from him; she's a pig hunter too, and he ended up ordering a duplicate for himself later. (With a little longer grip.)

P.S. I like your new avatar, Ed!
 
And then there's the "Golden Ratio." It always seems to me that anything created with the general balance of roughly 60:40 "looks" and feels about right. Notably, the handle can be the longer portion and the knife still look balanced, like the picture in the link (that's my opinion).

270px-Golden_ratio_line.jpg


Usually the handles on my knives are between 4" and 5", often tending toward longer lengths.
 
Now, allow me to throw in another twist. Since the butt on many different knives is at an angle do you measure the overall length (the top generally being longer) or the bottom where your fingers are wrapping around ?? :confused: ;)

In my case I generally shoot for the same lengths as Mr.Caffrey ...... at the bottom measurement.

So, inevitably the overall length of my handles are longer than the 4-1/4" - 4-1/2" length where my fingers are touching the handle



;)
 
Another method to make a handle to fit a customer's hand is: Measure the customer's hand with his palm up and open hand. Measure from where the little finger meets the hand diagonal across to the lower outside of his thumb. I have large hands and measures out to 4 3/4", works for me.
 
I'd agree that 4.5 - 5" is good for most people. I'd rather have a handle too long than too short.

Then again, if we're talking about a necker, for example, a 3-finger handle can be nice too.
 
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