Old world glues, still useful?

[JTknives]

I have been researching old world ways of attaching handles and become fascinated with the glues of days past. The 2 that seam to be the most useful are cutlers resin and cheese glue. Has anyone compared these to modern epoxys in the use thy where designed for. I think what intrigues me is its a glue you can make if such needs arose and thy obviously have a very long life span for a glue.

 

[john april]

dont forget about rice glue, like they used when making samurai sword scabbards. i think their biggest disadvantage is that they are water soluble, epoxy is not.

 

[Metalhead0483]

I've used cutlers resin on whittle tang knives before. I've never had a problem with handles coming apart on me, but I can't imagine they are in any way superior to modern epoxy's. I only use them when I'm doing a period specific knife.

 

[logem]

Unless I'm tasked with making a historical restoration piece (which won't happen), I'll stick with the modern high-end epoxies like G-flex which have ~3400 psi tensile strength, a heat deflection temperature of about 140F (continuous duty), and decent flexural strength.

It's an interesting subject though. I'm curious to know how fiber, leather, and other handles were fastened securely before modern chemical technology.

Mike

 

[jdm61]

Similar discussions in the guitar building world. Some say that hot hide glue has superior sonic qualities to Tight Bond wood glue, but I think it is more about doing it the way that Martin, Gibson, etc. did it back in the day. There is a lot of "ancestor worship" in that biz.

 

[A.McPherson]

Old timey glues are great! 'Specially hide glue, very strong bond, but it has its limitations. As mentioned it looses its strength when exposed to water. It also shrinks as it dries, so it will tend to gap if you're not careful.
I have heard/read that the "first pour" hide glues are so strong that if you put it on glass, it will pull bits of glass up as it dries! Now I'm not sure if I believe that, but I do know that it works really well to secure horn to wood. Lots of traditional bowyers use it to make extremely high tension asiatic composite bows...

 

[JTknives]

Well I used cutlers resin to seal around the handle and blade/tang. And very very impressed with it. But word to the wise be Careful with this black liquid of death. While trying to gently pour a thin line around the tang way to much came out and ran off and onto my hand. By the time I got to the sink it was cooled and when I pealed it off it took the skin with it. So lesson learned, facepalm.