new hollow handle idea

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elvenbladesmith07

Joined
Jul 29, 2004
Messages
663
ive been toying with the idea of using some plastic pipe with two caps on the ends as a handle. one cap sealed and the other left to pull off the would be drilled in the center to fit the tang. then threading the end of the tang and put it through the cap and pipe. then putting it through the loose cap and holding it on with a hex nut or a wing nut, then the handle can be wrapped with paracord or leather. what do you guys think? would it be strong enough? black A.B.S. pipe i was thinking. i just thought it would be a great alternative to the quarter tang junk sold by BUDK and such.
 
Not trying to be non-supportive,but it sounds like something I wouldn't depend my life on.Doesn't sound like it can take high rates of stress,and may be tempature sensitive.I'm no knife maker,but the construction description doesn't inspire confidence.Other then that,it would be cool just to do some testing.good luck with the project.
 
I agree with TOMBSTONE, a knife handle needs to be rugged. Pipe sections are good ways to store stuff (I use some 1 1/2" PVC to store welding rod in the Jeep) but a knife blade needs a handle that will not break or come loose. You might consider wearing a section ala dog tags or attaching it to your belt. the toughness of plastic pipe would be more than adequate there and still provide airtight storage.
Enjoy!
 
I am not particularly fond of hollow handles but I think the idea is good, a hollow tube that will fit over the full tang of a knife and can be removed, I also think plastic pipe is not strong enough but you could use brass or steel tube and caps, the holes in the end caps squared to fit tight in the tang so the handle wouldn't wobble and the tube wrapped with tape for a good grip. Seems like it could be made much stronger that a small tang fitted in just partially in a hollow handle.
 
What size pipe are you going to use? Do you have a knive in mind? what size tang? and how much gear are you thinking you can fit in the pipe,instead of a altoids can,or in something else,Are you going to fill the pipe with something so your gear,does'nt wedge down between the tang and plastic?Why not just make a pipe to carry what you want and put it on your knive sheath,or on your belt.
 
i was thinking 1/2 pipe. with a blade made by myself, something very similar to a first blood knife or a AFSK. as i said the tang would be a tapered tang so id probly be from 7/16" to 3/16" . i was planning on putting a flint some fishing hooks and line, leather needles wrapped in thread, just the things that are hardest to make or find in the wilderness. im not sure what you meant by "Are you going to fill the pipe with something so your gear,does'nt wedge down between the tang and plastic?" but yeah every extra space will be filled with extra stuff and cotton balls for tinder and to keep it from rattling. i think the abs plastic would be pretty strong if its done right.
i had a knife with a thin walled plastice handle and the blade was just a quarter tang with threads and a nut holding in one end on the handle. the blade loosened many times before the handle broke, and it broke at a major stess point. so i think it would work.
i could use steel but that would be very heavy, and all the wieght would be in the handle so its no good for chopping. brass is the same with even more wieght and not as strong, also more expensive. i could use aluminum i think it would work well expensive but light and strong and is easy to machine.
 
That's just how the Becker handles are. He's showing how you can use their shape for your advantage. You could take any other solid handles and hollow them out if they were thcik enough.
 
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