Leather Washer Handle, good or not?

R

RattleSnake Jake

Joined
Mar 4, 2007
Messages
7
I was at the local knife store and they had a number of neat looking knives with leather washer handles. One was a Fallkniven NL Bowie and the other was a SOG Bowie.

My question is, are these handles durable and they seem very smooth with little gripping power. Will they ruffen up with usuage (or sandpaper)?

I liked the knives but I'm unsure about the grips. What do you think?

Thanks
 
Leave them out in the rain for a long time and they will rot and fall apart or at least the ka-bars will.
 
take care of the leather handles and it will last for many many years, I whipe mine down with a little olive oil every so often,that seams to keep them in great shape,even after being in the rain for days. take care of your tools and thay will take care of you. I have seen 60 year old ka-bars that are in great shape because they were maintaned properly over the years.
 
I have a couple WWII knives, one Pal and one Cattaragus, both with leather handles, and the handles are still quite servicable, yet I'll bet they were not maintained every day as well as you could do. I also have several Westerns which are 40-50 years old, and their leather handles are fine. I like leather because it provides a very good grip when your hands are wet. There are leather care products now which should maintain them for at least a couple generations.

there are a couple good threads here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=460346
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=446697
 
Some people love leather handles. They are attractive and I think they are very comfortable to use. They are grippier than they initially feel.

They have the added advantage of being reasonably priced.
 
i just took apart a ww2 camillus with leather washer handle. it was fine, but the pommel and hilt was loose so, i decided to re-do the entire knife from the ground up (will post before during and after pics here if so interested)
but this knife went thru the meatgrinder of ww2 and who knows what else. as long as you dont leave them out in the rain for 3 weeks straight, you should never have a problem.
 
I love the looks of leather-washer handles but the potential for rot has kept me from purchasing any such knives. However, I've also amended my thinking concerning these fine-looking knives.

Unless I'm going specifically to a very wet or saltwater environment, there's no reason to fear that the leather will be a problem or suffer any ill effects. For a wilderness survival knife, I prefer Micarta, but leather has been used for decades, probably milennia, as a knife handle. As the others have stated, so long as the leather is cared for, it will serve fine.

My advice? If you love the knives, buy one and see how it does. Test it thoroughly before taking it out into the wilderness. In the event of a worst-case scenario of handle rot, the knife can be readily re-handled with any manner of material by any of the capable bladesmiths that frequent the forums.

Let us know if you get one! :thumbup:
 
Take proper care of them and the will last a lifetime.

I've got a Cattaraugus 226Q from WWII that still has the original leather washers.
 
I own a bill hook since 25 years. I've worked with, daily, in the woods for 3 years and still use it from time to time. I don't take particularly care of the leather washer handle which have seen rain, snow, sweat, mud, fir tree resin and sun, sometimes all in the same day. Still there.

dantzk.
 
Buddiiee said:
i just took apart a ww2 camillus with leather washer handle. it was fine, but the pommel and hilt was loose so, i decided to re-do the entire knife from the ground up (will post before during and after pics here if so interested)
but this knife went thru the meatgrinder of ww2 and who knows what else. as long as you dont leave them out in the rain for 3 weeks straight, you should never have a problem.
Click to expand...
would love to see the procewss pics, Buddiiee
 
All this talk of the handles rotting off is way overblown, as far as I've seen. Know what? Wood rots too. So does about everything that isn't plastic. I've always heard that the handles rotting were the reason WWII servicemen replaced their handles with colorful spacers/washers made from plexiglass, bakelite, aluminum, etc. (now called "theater knives") A collector friend had over 50 examples when I last spoke with him a year ago, and the vast majority of those knives still had their original leather sheaths. Seems kinda funny that the handles would rot away to nothing while the sheath is still serviceable 60+ years later. In fact, it seems like a bunch of overblown BS.
 
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