My first knife handle (Black Walnut)

W

woodgood

Joined
Sep 9, 2002
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This is my first attempt at a knife handle. Some of you may be saying not another post like this but I thought I'd join in the sharing of knife firsts, etc.

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I used black walnut crotch wood from set #5 listed at http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=603221.

I bought a Spyderco Mule Team CPM M4 knife (http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=364) and fashioned my own handle.

I don't have any real power tools to use. I used a cordless 3-3/8-Inch saw to cut (via two passes) one block in half to make bookends and then hand planned them flat.

To secure the handle I used two hidden pins and epoxy that I put in place with the help of a tutorial found at http://www.northcoastknives.com/northcoast_knives_tutorials_hints_tips5.htm. The knife has holes pre-drilled that include an extra little notch which I thought would assist in the hold of the epoxy.

I then used a coping saw, files, dremel tool and sandpaper shape the handle. I finished it with three coats of tung oil, steel wool between coats, and a buffer to shine (It was shinier before the steel wool but that didn't last).

What do you think?

I know there are some scratches to the blade's spine and underside and after looking at the photos I can see that there are some improvements to be made and better finishing to be done.

After having completed this knife handle this far, I know a little more as to what effort and skill the true knifemakers must have and utilize to make their knives. It makes me appreciate all you true knifemakers even more!

Thanks,

Brett
 
That's a beautiful piece of wood. Great job on the handle and nice blade too. I think I might have to go cut a walnut crotch out after seeing this. :p
 
Cliff Davis said:
Good job Brett. :)
I'm not a Spyderco fan, but I like that one.
Click to expand...

Wow, I thought every one was a spyderco fan.

Its a great job on the handle. I almost bought one of those M4 mules, but money was a little tight.

Edit: I just noticed that there are no pins, is it just the glue?
 
Brett you did a real nice job. I am like you new to this i got a few kind remarks but my first knife was crap my second was better the wood i used was very plain. I used maple and oak knothing special. I am excesive compulsive and have now orderd and bought some of the finest woods around roflmao yes im serious and crazy.The woods are like fiddle back maple,some asian iron wood burl ,walnut burl ,brown malee burl,curly polyana burl,rosewood burl,and brazilian king wood.My teacher is a friend in ark that builds guitars, mandalins, and some kinda fancy wood banjo lol. He told me to stay away from tung oil and just use plain old gun stock finish this will shine up better and give a better protection to the wood . He said tung oil swells the wood and thats not good.Dont feel bad i bought a whole quart but thats ok ill use it on some thing other than a knife handle. kellyw
 
Wow what a beautiful job, I love the look of the patterns in the wood. Actually one of the better looking Spyderco Mule jobs I've seen out there. What more important is that it works for you and that you are happy with it. Thanks for sharing!
 
Oh no, not ANOTHER first knife project post!!!!!!!




HA! We all love them, half of us came on here and made our own :) Really good work, especially considering the tools. (I think dremels are evil). FAR better job of rounding and shaping than most first attempts.
 
If you are planning to do more, I'd suggest getting a 1x42 belt sander (it's worth the extra, but if you REALLY can't afford $100 for one, the harbor freight $30 1x30s will work if you tweak them enough)

you can get belts in a lot of grits. I do a lot of the machine work on my handles using 120, 220, and 400 on the belt grinder and then do the fine work at 220-320-400-sometimes 600 and 800 using shop rolls 1 inch and half inch paper.

For the exposed tang, once you have the handle tweaked good, you can use a sanding stick (I make mine out of ipe scraps in all sorts of shapes) and get a good flat lengthwise rub on the tang. I generally end up going back to 220, then all the way up through 600 or 800, sometimes 1500. Getting a good surface on the tang can be important, especially with carbon steels, because it's often the least well oiled steel on the knife over time.

again, fantastic job. It's good enough I'd say you'd be fine working some of the nicer premade blades that are available.

The one thing that a lot of us seem to do when we are beginning is try to get faster more quickly than we get more skilled. As my sensei says- speed comes with experience. Take it slow and easy. :D
 
Thank you all for your kind comments and advice! I've read many posts on this site but haven't really communicated too much with folks and it's nice to feel welcomed in a place where many talented people come to share in their hobbies/obsessions.

I almost did buy a good belt sander before I started but wanted to try by hand on my first attempt. Using the dremel tool (not really by hand all the way I guess) did bite me a few times though, once (actually many times) on the blade's spine and handle belly when roughing-in and also on the handle's finish when buffing and bouncing.

I have a '60s model ToolKraft 6" X 48" belt sander that was my Dad's that needs some belts but thought that it's size was too big for such a job. I remember using it as a kid and went to the end of the sander where the belt wraps around so that I could get into tight spaces. When I thought about using it on a knife handle now I had a semi-flashback to those days as a kid and the surprise I got when that wood flew out of my hand. That would be bad especially on a knife like this with an already highly sharpened edge.

Is a 1" X 30" or 42" belt sander the recommended size for this type of work? Could that same size be used for the shaping of a blade's metal too or is another size/shape recommended?

I'll probably attempt another handle in the future after first re-finishing this one a touch more. I'm not sure if I will make my way into crafting blade's or not. Who knows though as the knife bug is contagious and spreads.

Thanks again for all your advice and comments!,

Brett
 
Most knifemakers end up with a 2x72. And I do a fair amount of handle shaping on the 2x72. The ONLY thing I use the 6x sander for is making flat stuff thinner.

Most knifemakers seem to also have a 1x30 or 1x42, and I'm really glad I do. I started with one and am glad I still have it, it's very useful in tighter spots and for smaller blades. I'd spring for a decent 1x42, as i said before.
 
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