I am trying my hand at knife making and i am not sure what to make the handle of the knife out of. I would apreciate some advice on good materials to make a durable grip out of. I would also like some information on materials that could be molded from a liquid state. Any feedback is welcome.
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Knife handle materials
- Thread starter amw308
- Start date
nozh2002
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I know about wood. My suggestion for first time use "cocobolo" or "linguim vitae" - they oily by nature, so you'll need just to sand them (I do ...220-320-600-1000-1500-2000 sandpapers).
Other good wood and finish:
PauFerro - Karnauba
Ziricote - Karnauba (may be cracky)
Bubinga - Boiled Linen Seed Oil (BLSO)
Zebrawood - Karnauba
Brasilian Rosewood - BLSO
Wenge - BLSO
Ebony - Karnauba
Bloodwood - Karnauba
You may check my wood page (sorry, in Russian but it's easy to figure it out).
http://www.geocities.com/nozh2002/wood.html
Thanks, Vassili.
Other good wood and finish:
PauFerro - Karnauba
Ziricote - Karnauba (may be cracky)
Bubinga - Boiled Linen Seed Oil (BLSO)
Zebrawood - Karnauba
Brasilian Rosewood - BLSO
Wenge - BLSO
Ebony - Karnauba
Bloodwood - Karnauba
You may check my wood page (sorry, in Russian but it's easy to figure it out).
http://www.geocities.com/nozh2002/wood.html
Thanks, Vassili.
PlaceKnives
Banned
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- Apr 7, 2003
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- 933
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2002
- Messages
- 1,419
You can't beat synthetics. The linen, canvas Micarta variants are probably best. Not because they are soft or easy to grind / file etc. - they are not. BUT, they come very consistent in quality, dead FLAT and of even size and thickness. This takes a lot of guesswork out of the process of getting a good fit, alignment etc. I always suggest the beginner use canvas first - you only need a 240grit finish and it looks awesome - nice, tactical and grip ! If you ever want to test the knife - there are no worries about the handle breaking etc. G10 and CF are hard on tools.
The best woods, I think have to be either stabilised for well, stability and longevity as well as ease of finish and working. The rosewood and african blackwood family are superb handle materials but many people get allergic to their dusts. A very good alternative is the ironwoods, the acacia spp - gidgee, mulga and koa, just as examples - all dense, durable with some water-resistance due to resin and oil content and will take a fantastic finish. Just 2000grit OOOOsteel wool finish and carnauba wax makes for a very serviceable handle that looks good.
Importantly, as mentioned, wear respiratory protection. Jason.
The best woods, I think have to be either stabilised for well, stability and longevity as well as ease of finish and working. The rosewood and african blackwood family are superb handle materials but many people get allergic to their dusts. A very good alternative is the ironwoods, the acacia spp - gidgee, mulga and koa, just as examples - all dense, durable with some water-resistance due to resin and oil content and will take a fantastic finish. Just 2000grit OOOOsteel wool finish and carnauba wax makes for a very serviceable handle that looks good.
Importantly, as mentioned, wear respiratory protection. Jason.