paracord or rope handles???

there are plenty of pics online just look it up on google...paracord is "better" then rope is by rope you mean something thick and bulky...The good thing I like about paracord handles is they allow for better grip then a smooth wood handle and when in a situation you can always take it off and use it...That being said I dont use paracord I use what we in the theatre call tie line. I use it because #1 its free #2 it has a high breaking point and I literally can hang on it with out it breaking...
 
The latest para-cord handles I have done.
1095blueredcord-1.jpg

I leave the tang at least 7/8" wide so there is still a substantial area to hold onto if you need to use the para cord for something else.
 
nate i hope your joking about not being able to hang from 550 cord

or we have some thing mixed up
mind you i would not ever want to hang by just one strand of it but 550 it the lb rating and in a dire way i guess i would try it
 
I've used a cord wrap on several different neckers that I made for personal EDC. I really like it for that purpose. I would not use it on any knife that was gonna see extended continual use. I used one of the neckers to cut up cardcoard boxes for about 30 minutes one day just to see how i liked the overall package. The cord wrap gives a good grip, but it wasn't as comfortable after a few minutes as a thicker, smoother handle would be. It develops hot spots pretty fast, too.

Todd
 
You might want to ask over in Wilderness & Survival Skills, too. Those guys love paracord and there are some real artists in that forum when it comes to wrapping, braiding etc. (Not knocking the gents above, nice work guys!)
 
Here's one I did a few years back. I run a length of cord down the center of the handle under the wrap to give it more thickness and more of a diamond profile.

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I love cord wrapped handles. I think paracord is just about the best handle material out there for a user. It is never hot or cold. Super grippy even when wet or soaked in blood. Only real drawback is that whole soaked in blood thing. After only a short while or just one really messy day it needs to be replaced. A lot of guys soak them in thin superglue to waterproof the cord but I think this negates most of the benefits of using cord.

Here's my personal edc. I've carried this knife every day for the last four years. I re-wrapped the handle two years ago and it really needs to be redone again. Notice the difference in color from the front of the handle to the knot at the end.

IMG_1602.jpg

IMG_1609.jpg


So, yeah. Cordwrapped handles are great but they are really high maintenance.
 
I don't quite like paracord or rope handles. Somehow I feel they are not completly done. I can somehow understand those who say that the grip is better when wet or something, but that's about it. Any kind of rope will keep moisture in contact with the steel for a long time and if the blade is not stainless... it could rust badly. If you use syntetic paracord, rotting shouldn't be an issue but if you use natural fibers rope... it will rotten. Keep in mind that if you wrap it tight enough to give you a firm grip, it will have a lot of kinks and bends that won't come out easily if you ever need to use that cord for something else.
Just my 2 cents.
Mikel
 
I do some of each. One common thing I do is an underwrap of thin flax cord (you could call it thick thread) which I will seal with epoxy or CA. Over that I do most commonly a 550 wrap, or a 330 wrap.

I don't do this often, but often enough to have some preferences. The flax cord makes a very good wrap if you make a thin rope out of it. You have to know how to do that, and it involves reversing stists and other oddities- like making bowstrings in a sense. When I do that, i soak the handle in linseed oil overnight and then let drip for a few hours, wipe down and then let it hang for a week to dry. Pretty much seals it against moisture.
 
butcher_block said:
nate i hope your joking about not being able to hang from 550 cord

or we have some thing mixed up
mind you i would not ever want to hang by just one strand of it but 550 it the lb rating and in a dire way i guess i would try it
Click to expand...

I know the "strength" of paracord I just also know that "tie line" works for me in the same situations. Dont get me wrong if paracord were free I would prefer that over what I currently use.
 
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