New handles (scales?) from household materials?

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wahoowad

Joined
Dec 2, 2002
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I saw a reference to using cutting board material as stock for DIY handles (are these called scales? :confused:) and now I'm interested in experimenting with making my own knife handles. What are some materials I might find around the house or my garage workshop?

I don't have delrin or micarta...

I do have some varying thicknesses of cutting board material, scraps of various woods, seasoned firewood (oaks, cherry, maple), plywood and enough tools to cut/shape to make some experimental handles. Target knife will be ESEE-6 :abnormal:
 
The oaks and maple and such would be my go-to, if I weren't going to pick something up. Avoid the plywood, but wood is a nice, classic medium to start with. You can make your own micarta following online tutorials, which are readily available to a google search. Cutting boards would be a downgrade for an ESEE-6, although I'm not fond of ESEE handles. They feel very blocky to me. Once you're confident in your skills, you can buy something cool online, or visit a store like Woodcraft.
 
wood, fire wood, cutting boards, old furniture etc.
But handle scales can be cheap on ebay or other places. Ask yourself if it is worth the trouble reusing other stuff
 
My first handles were oak from a pallet. I still like the look of them and they're holding up pretty good. I purposefully picked pieces/spots that had old stained nail holes in them for character.

I only use stabilized wood now though cause I don't trust other stuff to not move over time. Hengleo_77 is right though, you can get stuff pretty inexpensively online and know exactly what you're getting. Just watch out for shipping costs.
 
The firewood pile can yield some interesting wood. I wouldnt just go cut a piece and glue it to a knife though. Its unlikely the firewood is truly dry on the inside. I would cut it and sticker it inside for at least a few months first. Look at shipping pallets for something cheap and dry
 
If it's pure function you're looking for and belong to the current 'stainless and synthetics' generation (I notice most Yuppie-flavoured/mass-produced/tactical and even custom knives these days don't use natural materials) then keep an eye out for a chunk of "Corian" kitchen counter top. Tough as nails, resilient and stable, and scratches easily buff out. Cold and impersonal on the hands though just like every other synthetic.
Otherwise if you're an old cat like me (and love the way wood looks and feels in the hand) then seek out some pretty-figured piece to do the job. For sure you don't need much. Oak is porous and great for church pews and floors but coarse-grain and not suited for decorative handles. Ebony/teak/Maple/walnut/cherry/apple/pear etc etc will do it for you and is also easy to shape and fit.
Nice thing about removable scales is you can swap, tinker, file and rasp to your heart's content.
 
If there is a woodcraft store around they will have cheap (under $10) pre cut scales in a variety of nice woods.
That way if the project is successful it will look good as well.
 
Burl Source said:
If there is a woodcraft store around they will have cheap (under $10) pre cut scales in a variety of nice woods.
QUOTE]

I'm still trying to understand the word 'scales' - if a woodcraft store carries it I doubt it is something just for a knife handle, right?
Click to expand...
 
wahoowad said:
Burl Source said:
If there is a woodcraft store around they will have cheap (under $10) pre cut scales in a variety of nice woods.
QUOTE]

I'm still trying to understand the word 'scales' - if a woodcraft store carries it I doubt it is something just for a knife handle, right?
Click to expand...

Scales, slabs, handles it all the same. What Woodcraft has is knife-sized, matching pairs of exotic and indigenous wood. They're in their own little section and they even carry a few knife blanks and bolster materials. Yes, they are for knives specifically.
Click to expand...
 
scales are slabs of wood (or other material) that that can be put on a tang from either side.
Seen from the top (or bottom) you'll have wood-steel-wood
The other option is a solid block in wich a slot is made and the tang is stuck.
The first is called full tang, the 2nd option is a hidden tang.
Both are good it's a personal preference wich one you chose.

I've made an oak handled knife for sentimental reason. I filled the large pores and like that look a lot :)
 
Woodcraft (here anyway) has a bunch of wood in piles or leaning against the wall but they also have knife scales prepackaged in plastic bags and labeled 'knife making scales' or whatever on the shelves. If you have a way to cut them to the right thickness, lots of the bigger wood would work. Some of it will probably be the right thickness already. Otherwise the knife scales should be the right size but cost more per inch since they're small and prepackaged.
 
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Check home depot or lowes. I still have some red oak I bought from there. It was just over $2 for a piece 1/2 x 2 x 36 (might have been 24 or 48, I don't remember now, but it was enough to handle multiple knives).
 
I recently went to a local joinery works (here in Australia though) I'm sure there would be one somewhere near if you live in a city or town. They let me rat the skip bin for offcuts and I walked out with some beautiful slices of Queensland Spotted Gum (very hard dense timber with beautiful grain figuring) for free and come back anytime and take as much as want. They pay to get rid of it. Not a bad option -just check the phone book and ring em up.
 
great ideas guys, thanks! I have a cabinet maker near me and will stop and ask about their scrap bin
 
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