knife handle design

S

seth

Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
197
this one has me a bit curious, what handle design do you guys think is best when dealing with a heavy usage blade? (camp knife/ect.) anyone have any knives that really stand above the pack when it comes to using them for a lot of chopping/ect?

some blades ive used, the handles almost seem like an afterthought, mostly just there to accent the flow of the blade and give something to grip on, but they dont really sit in the hand too well.

the one i think, that stands out in my mind the most, the handle was a similar shape to a tennis racquets, sort of an octagon, but with a nice palm swell, this blade just sat perfectly in my hand swing after swing, even after eating its way through a few logs.
 
A handle that fits is a beautiful thing. A handle that fits everyone is mythical, and part of the reason so many of us knife nuts buy " just one more knife" repeatedly. The handle that fits everyone for everything is akin to the holy grail. Search on!
 
This style of grip has proved perfect for the last few hundred years at least:

PerfectGrip.jpg
 
I've found that, for me, a basic handle with not too many finger grooves or awkward angles does well for sustained work. There's a reason why the Buck 110 has been around forever. BUT, there are exceptions. The BM Rukus or my Emerson Snubby, for instance. You still have to actually hold a knife in-hand to see if it's right for you. Like Bumppo wrote, a knife that may feel great to me might have hotspots for you.
 
khuks have great handles, but just a tad too small for my hands for everyday use, however ive heard that the HI khuks can be obtained with a slightly larger handle??? the only one ive held/used belongs to a friend of mine, and its about 80 years old.

i see what you guys mean about knives fitting the user, i guess thats why none of my knives keep the standard handle too long, especially my dive knives, i do a lot of modifying to those handles to make them fit better.
 
I make knives as a hobby. The great thing about hobby making is there are no monetary issues- you can take forever or make knives that maybe no one else would ever buy. In any event I have used a lot of different handle materials and have come to appreciate stag. This stag should not be "dolled up"- leave it as rough as a corn cob and you will have a good, slip proof grip. :cool:
 
I often find kraton handles to be annoying to hold for a long time, feels like they're melting into me or whatever.
Also, several military type knifes i own have way too slippery handles. Should have a much coarser pattern.
 
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