Modify handle by sanding?

[candlelight001]

I have a couple of knives that have sharp/square parts on the handles that I was thinking of trying to sand down. I don't have power tools so I was gonna wrap sandpaper around a dowel and go to town. Handles are green canvas micarta and osage orange. Is this a bad idea?
Thanks!

 

[StretchNM]

I think it's a good idea. Start with about 100 standard sandpaper and work your way through the grits up to about 400. By then you'll probably be in wet/dry. You can if you want, but I think wrapping around a dowel is unnecessary. Sand with the grain and, on the micarta, sand parrallel to the blade. This is so sanding scratches run lengthwise along with the blade and they'll ease out easier with each progressive grit stage.

On the micarta, you might want to stop at about 220 or so, depending on how you want the micarta to feel.

Once you start sanding, you'll want to do the entire handle. Pay attention to the blade area (spine, end, and underbelly of handle) so you don;t leave scratches. By about 400 grit or so, they should be ironed out.

 

[IVANKERLEY]

tape the blade off and use some cardboard to keep from cutting yourself
other than that go to town and wear a mask cause inhaling nasty particulates is no fun just ask me, happened once and i thought i was going to die, no joke there
oh and post some pictures we like 'em
good luck
ivan

 

[Andrew Colglazier]

If you have a vise you can use that. Go to Home Depot or similar and go to the aisle where they sell sanding belts. Buy some 1" belts in very coarse, medium, and fine grits, and some fine sand paper or sanding blocks.

Get some wood blocks, put the knife blade between them all the way to the ricasso, and clamp the blade into the vise. Tear the sanding belts so they make a strip rather than a belt, and use the belts to sand down the handles, using a motion like you were polishing a shoe, holding and end of the belt in each hand and pulling the belt over the surface of the handle from side to side.

Go slow and feel the handle often to see if you are getting it where you want it to be. Finish up with the finer grits.

Andy

 

[Bill DeShivs]

You can file the spots down. Much quicker than sanding.

 

[Andrew Colglazier]

You can file the spots down. Much quicker than sanding.

Not really. Very course belts take material off pretty quick, and they conform to the roundness of the handle much better. You don't want to take material off too quickly.

Andy

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Much quicker than HAND sanding. I have a fully equipped knifemaker's shop, and am aware of the virtues of belt sanders.

 

[Karda]

Use whichever method you feel most comfortable with.

Go Slow and visualize what you want/are about to do before you actually do it....You can always take more off, but it's nearly impossible, in most cases, to replace what's been removed.

To maintain proper lines use a sanding block or flat file for flat areas.
As a dowel will perform much as a round file, i wouldnt recommend it be used on flat areas as it can tend to make things come out a bit uneven, but the can be used for shaping around curves. Use as Coarse a method as you feel appropriate and then go finer to leave a good finish.

Let us know how it turns out.