Leather washer handle concerns

Buffalohump

Buffalohump

Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
6,193
Hey guys,

I have a Randall on order from the factory. Its a 12-9 Sportsmans bowie.

After a bit of indecision I decided to go with the leather washer handle but just recently I've started to doubt my decision.

I'm concerned about the strength and durability of this handle material.

Is my order cast in stone or can I get it changed at this juncture? My knife is due in 2011.

Thanks!
 
The shop allows you to change the specifications for a knife, and it must be done before six months prior to its due date. Also, you can do this only once, and there may be an order change fee. So, you're good.

With that said, leather is very durable, and you are unlikely to ever wear it out. The most durable handle material is Micarta.
 
A leather washer handle is likely to outlast you, given reasonable treatment. I treat mine with SnowSeal, as I do all my leather sheaths and belts.
 
My concerns arose from something I read in a book by Wayne Goddard called The Wonder of Knifemaking.

He said that with a leather washer handle, the tang needs to be full length because that's the only thing giving the handle any real structural strength.

I guess slabs of micarta would be a better bet all round. Not as attractive though.

Perhaps stag..?
 
I stand to be corrected but I am fairly certain the Sportman's Bowie has a full length tang. I have a Leather Mod 1 which I can send you if you want to see the handle;)

Apologies for my poor reply to your mail bro.....:foot:
 
Well, you're on notice pal. One more infraction and you're history... :D

I believe I will drop them a line and ask. Just gotta dig out my order form and receipt.
 
I believe that any model with a leather handle is full tang. They thread the end of the tang, place the buttcap, and tighten it down with a nut. This should be rather strong and durable.
 
Buffalohump, you wrote:
Perhaps stag..?
Click to expand...
Funny you should mention stag. My dad's definition of a knife handle is stag. Or, stag. And, if stag is not available, then stag is a suitable substitute. ;)
 
Well, that sounds good.... I will look into it and let you know what they say.

Jeepsandknives said:
I believe that any model with a leather handle is full tang. They thread the end of the tang, place the buttcap, and tighten it down with a nut. This should be rather strong and durable.
Click to expand...
 
Heh heh.... well, I was thinking of something traditional, which is why I went with a brass guard and leather handle. But stag would definitely meet the criteria of a traditional bowie as well.

lunde said:
Buffalohump, you wrote:Funny you should mention stag. My dad's definition of a knife handle is stag. Or, stag. And, if stag is not available, then stag is a suitable substitute. ;)
Click to expand...
 
Wow, lots of different issues here. Let's dig in (good thing I've got a fresh cup of coffee in front of me).

Your knife will have a full-length tang, but not a full-width tang. There's been an ongoing debate for many years over which of the two of these is stronger. Bo actually thought the hidden tang was stronger, and there's enough actual engineering data on this to make me believe there's a fair chance he may actually have been right. Regardless, if you are able to get the tang on a Randall to fail, you'll be the first person I ever heard of who managed to accomplish that, and that's saying a lot.

The leather washers are incredibly durable, and will likely outlast not only you but also your children. Stag is certainly a good "traditional" choice as well, but is actually more fragile than leather. If you were going for a truly traditional Bowie knife, you'd want to go with a walnut handle, since this is more likely than not what Bowie had on his knife. But that's another discussion for another day, because nobody really knows what Bowie actually carried.

The shop will allow a one-time change to an order any time before they start building your knife. There's a $35 charge, or at least that's what it cost the last time I checked.
 
I received my leather handled Randall 12-9 in 1968. It has gone through jungle and desert. Except for staining the handle is in perfect condition.
 
I came up with a "see it for yourself" example. Either a. Look in the back of your RMK catalog on the page for knife construction. Or b. Go to the Randall website and click on knife construction link. The example is a Model 1, but same principles are applied.
 
Seeing as how your knife is older than me by a year, it sounds like a pretty good endorsement to me! :thumbup:

zman308 said:
I received my leather handled Randall 12-9 in 1968. It has gone through jungle and desert. Except for staining the handle is in perfect condition.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the input! I will do a search on the website for that tutorial.

Samael said:
Wow, lots of different issues here. Let's dig in (good thing I've got a fresh cup of coffee in front of me).

Your knife will have a full-length tang, but not a full-width tang. There's been an ongoing debate for many years over which of the two of these is stronger. Bo actually thought the hidden tang was stronger, and there's enough actual engineering data on this to make me believe there's a fair chance he may actually have been right. Regardless, if you are able to get the tang on a Randall to fail, you'll be the first person I ever heard of who managed to accomplish that, and that's saying a lot.

The leather washers are incredibly durable, and will likely outlast not only you but also your children. Stag is certainly a good "traditional" choice as well, but is actually more fragile than leather. If you were going for a truly traditional Bowie knife, you'd want to go with a walnut handle, since this is more likely than not what Bowie had on his knife. But that's another discussion for another day, because nobody really knows what Bowie actually carried.

The shop will allow a one-time change to an order any time before they start building your knife. There's a $35 charge, or at least that's what it cost the last time I checked.
Click to expand...
 
I just went to the site. Forgot that I'd spent quite a few hours perusing it when I ordered my knife.

They said use shoe polish or saddle soap to preserve the leather.

Part of my concern stems from the various leather watch straps I've been through.

My sweat seems to corrode the leather and they never last. :(
 
The leather used for the handles is the same as leather used for the soles of shoes. Bet you haven't corroded too many of them lately.
 
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