My new handle marking jig

[Sando]

I'm sure you guys already have some cool method to mark the center line on your handles. But, I've been going nuts trying to hold a ruler steady. I also like to mark a line parallel to the center to control the handle width. I also, also like to make lines perpendicular to the center line to get a consistent shape.

I tried various ideas, but they sucked. This one works!

I generally slap on a chunk of wood, then cut and shape. As you can see from the pencil lines on this test knife, there's a ton of wood left on the left edge and nothing on the right. The pencil marks make it clear. I used this jig-thingy to make the marks.

You pinch the 'blade' part of the jig to the spine (or ricasso), then the 'tang' of the jig lets you draw two parallel lines, depending on the thickness of the jig. As the pencil hits each notch, it leaves a mark. The little marks help me add perpendicular lines if I need 'em. When you connect the marks you have perpendicular lines. It looks like this when you draw:

If you want to make sure your handle top is aligned with the spine, do this:

FWIW, that notch in the jig helps to clear the guard or twist the jig down for sloping handles.

I know, I know - it's trivial. So why did it take me so long!?

 

[Ocelot85]

Thanks for the idea, always nice to see different ways of doing something! Have you seen the Nick Wheeler scriber with a mechanical pencil attached to it?

 

[weo]

Nice and simple, thanks for posting Sando. Now I've got something to do with the chunk of 1/4" micarta that's been lying around my bench for a couple of years.

 

[007Airman]

Nice ingenuity. More than one way to skin a cat for sure, especially in the knife world.

 

[Sando]

Nice and simple, thanks for posting Sando. Now I've got something to do with the chunk of 1/4" micarta that's been lying around my bench for a couple of years.

Hahaha. Yeah. That’s what I was thinking when I cut up that grey/black layered G10. Something ugly out to good use.

 

[Sando]

Thanks for the idea, always nice to see different ways of doing something! Have you seen the Nick Wheeler scriber with a mechanical pencil attached to it?

Hmmm, nope. I searched for it but didn’t find anything.

 

[Hengelo_77]

I use one of these.
First I have a ruler over the middle of the spine and draw a line on the handle.
Then use a protractor to draw lines at 90 degrees of the first line and make marks left and right at the same distance to the first line.

 

[Sam Dean]

Great idea - thank you for sharing! I was just thinking about how to do this, as I'm about to try my first kitchen knife in that style. Definitely answers some questions!!

 

[john april]

cool idea, very inventive