Need a little advice on handles

[Frankki]

Right then, catalog ordered and received, about to order my first Randall. But I need to ask for advice on a couple of handle-related matters.

Standard stacked leather handle is all right but I would prefer something like wood or micarta. These handles are, as I understood, epoxied onto the tang and "therein lies the rub".

Now this could very well be just a psychological thing, but I do have quite an aversion towards knife handles that are, ahem, "glued" on. I rather like having pins or a peened tang to keep the package together. With the leather handle there's at least a threaded tang and a nut to act as a mechanical fastener.

Same problem with the heavy-duty morticed tang models, although that #16-7" Special Fighter is awfully tempting, I must admit. Tang area is solid as all whatnot, but the handle is epoxied in place. I am sure that epoxies have advanced much but I'm still going "hmmm" on the idea of glued-on handles.

No way I'm waiting five years on a knife that I won't dare use with confidence. So, any comments from those with more insight are welcome. Are the epoxied handles to be trusted or should I just rename myself to Mr. Belt And Suspenders?

 

[Melvin-Purvis]

Frank Ki, no belt and suspenders needed just yet...over the years, I've seen photos of full tang (morticed) RMK knives that were put through more than their fair share of abuse, including hammering, batoning, freezing, and beating that all withstood the abuse.

If I was worried about failure, I'd probably be more worried about blade shear or snappage than handle failure...but, based on what I've seen so far, I'm not.

Great post btw, thought provoking and insightful. Welcome too! :thumbup:

 

[Samael]

You can relax - the epoxied handles hold up perfectly. I suppose it's possible one of them has failed in the history of the world, but if it's happened, I've sure never heard of it.

I got into trouble (not really) on the Randall Knife Society's forum a while back for saying that the hilt is welded to the tang. Technically, it's soldered, but it's a very solid joint and helps hold everything together too.

The old (really old) Randalls really did have pinned handles. Natural handle materials (wood, stag, ivory) can crack as a result of the stress the pins introduce. They're already under more than enough stress as it is just by virtue of having a metal rod running down the middle.

In short, the epoxied handles have held up pretty remarkably well for a lot of years in real, honest-to-God combat situations. I'd be awfully surprised if there's anything you can do that will "break" your knife.

 

[dogtownhootie]

If you order a smaller knife one thing to consider about micarta is that it is heavier than most other materials such as leather,wood,or stag.Not that there is anything wrong with that,just something to be aware of.

 

[Frankki]

All right, thank you for the reassuring comments.

I have been looking for info on how epoxied handles hold up in use and how strong the modern chemicals are. I suppose it would take quite the Herculean effort to rip the handles off. Haven't made any knives myself so I am not familiar with how good the modern stuff is.

I am becoming more convinced that I should go with a black micarta handle, because there is a certain colour scheme I want on my knife. For me, the name Randall has been associated with the military and fighting knives ever since I learned of them. So I'm thinking about a knife to commemorate my own armed service. A Model 1 in some configuration would be an obvious choice. When I was a 19 year old conscript I didn't exactly go around shopping for Randalls so better to get one as a firmly established reservist.

I'd like to have my service branch colours on the knife for a bit of symbolism and that means black and red. Should be doable with spacers and handle material, I think. I'll need to contact the shop to ask if they still offer options about spacer arrangement. A bit of brass would also be required, either in hilt or spacers.

Well, this should explain what I'm thinking of in terms of colours and materials:

 

[Samael]

Available spacer combinations are red/white/blue (standard), aluminum and black, brass and black, brass and red, and all black. The aluminum/black and brass/black spacers count as a "chargeable option," even though the charge is fairly nominal ($10). You can do this on a model 1 with no problems; you should, however, be aware that the full-tang knives don't have spacers.

Keeping track of what options are available, what options aren't, and which ones are "chargeable options" can be quite a challenge. The catalog doesn't really do a very good job of explaining all this. Feel free to ask away here if you have any more questions, though; I'm sure we'll be able to help you out.

Note to Dogtownhootie: True, but the wood/stag handles usually have some type of butt cap, which adds a little weight to the handle and helps balance the knife a little better.

 

[Frankki]

Yes, it does get a little esoteric when trying to determine what the options are and what is possible. But I think I'm still on track about what I need to get.

Still thinking that the #16 SP#1 with a border patrol handle would be pretty close to my ideal knife, now that we have established that the handle attachment is quite strong enough.

No spacers on that design though, so how to get that necessary dash of red?
I'll need to come up with something creative. Off to tease the old brain, it is then.

 

[Samael]

You know, Frankki, just about anything is possible if you have enough money to spend. Here's an example of some aftermarket work done by a long-time Randall aficianado by the name of Doug Cream (a/k/a "Silverknife"):

You can contact Doug at silverknife1 (at) aol.com if you really feel like going crazy. Be warned, though: This type of work is frequently more expensive than the knife itself. (You should definitely touch base with him before you order the knife, too - he can help guide you through the process.)

 

[Frankki]

Thanks for the tip, Samael.

I'm still at the pencil and paper stage, toying with a some ideas.

Don't want to expand my budget too much or go too crazy but rather keep it simple and subtle.

Now if I could only sketch worth a damn.