Perfectly Clear Handles? (Or close to it) Possible?

Obviously using the highest grade clarity of pure solid diamond is the answer. :p
 
I'd be afraid the knife may end up looking like a cheap tourist piece, or something a guy would buy on late night TV. I think putting clear handles on a damascus blade ( to show a damascus tang ?) may diminish the esthetics. I realize how negative it sounds, and I hope you pull this off. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
 
Last edited:
No that's a totally valid point David, and I agree. I don't know how it's going to turn out either. I ordered some acrylic that the BK mod guy used, and I'll see what happens. I had some ideas for engraving out and then mixing in some glow in the dark accents, or at least a makers mark perhaps. Still in the brainstorming phase really. I will definitely post when/if I get something made up. I ordered a few blanks to experiment with.
 
Just a thought but what about casting in clear polyester resin. Here is a pen that I made for an art show about 2 years ago that is made from vintage watch parts that I adhered (one at a time) to some pen tubes and then cast in clear resin.

Complexity of Time 1.jpg
 
jtdesigns said:
Just a thought but what about casting in clear polyester resin. Here is a pen that I made for an art show about 2 years ago that is made from vintage watch parts that I adhered (one at a time) to some pen tubes and then cast in clear resin.

View attachment 303409
Click to expand...
]

Very cool pen! That is actually my plan for now, I have ordered some resin (I forget the brand, but was recommended by the gentleman that made the clear handles (someone linked on first page of this thread), after many tries and problems with scratching he liked this particular resin. So we shall see how it goes. -- Edit: K9-Handler was the user, and he recommended "Amazing Clear Cast" from ebay.. which he says has worked out better than his last few tries.

I'm wondering about the epoxy that will hold the scales on as well, assuming they're perfectly clear, the epoxy usually has a yellowish tinge to it, and might look ugly between the metal and scales. I'll have to look into clear-er epoxies as well.
 
Last edited:
I borrowed this pic from another forum. The knife was made by Bud Nealy. The knife was at the recent Paris knife show and had a map of Paris under the clear handles. I am guessing they are acrylic and held on with mosaic pins. You could put anything under the handles.
 
Buck was doing it with stacked acrylic in the 50's (approx date and material used is a guess) - here is a picture of one at the Buck museum.

DSC_8532.JPG


best

mqqn
 
Leroy Remer does Buck's in clear bullet proof glass! I just ordered a 112 myself..
see:
04-14-2011Bulletproof110s008.jpg

04-14-2011Bulletproof110s020.jpg


Picture credit: bladeforum member OREGON
 
During WW11 there were quite a few knives made by servicemen, CB's, merchant marines, and the like. clear Acrillic from downed air craft windows was used in quite a few. I have looked at quite a few of these old "Theater knives" The acrillic seams to hold up well at least for the first 67 years.
 
Atlanta Cutlery offered cheap Indian damascus blades with clear acrylic handles some years ago.
 
Cellulose acetate is what they used to use in screwdriver handles. It's incredibly tough and apparently has self-polishing properties.
 
Eagle Grips has aluminum honeycomb filled with clear or colored acrylic. I've used some, and like it a lot.

They have different thicknesses and different sized hexagons.

I have a piece that is 1/4" thick, with 1/4" hexagons with clear acrylic. I just planned on letting the liner color show through. Some colors show through better than others, but it sure does look cool.
 
I've only read the first post so I apologize if this has been posted. Our students will sometimes make a new chess set design out of extruded acrylic. We usually don't turn large diameters (helps keep the material cost down). We've found that extruded will not "fog" up like cast acrylic when cut. But that may be a trait that you want. With the extruded acrylic, a little bit of oil rubbed into the work piece produces a near glass effect. Hope this helps.
 
grizzled gizzard said:
Eagle Grips has aluminum honeycomb filled with clear or colored acrylic. I've used some, and like it a lot.

They have different thicknesses and different sized hexagons.

I have a piece that is 1/4" thick, with 1/4" hexagons with clear acrylic. I just planned on letting the liner color show through. Some colors show through better than others, but it sure does look cool.
Click to expand...

I saw that stuff recently, it looks awesome! I already got some resin I'm going to cast into scales at some point, so I'll try that. But I'm definitely going to get some of that handle material when I get some money saved up again, it looks really nice.

navasky, thanks I will look at that if I ever do a second or third one in clear.
 
On the "it scratches too easy" part, why not try the stuff they use for cell phone screen covers to go over your clear material? The cheap stuff is hard and scratches easy but the high end stuff is kinda rubberyish and stretchy. I've had it on screens for years with no noticeable scratches or wear despite being my pocket with keys. You can buy sheets of it. 12x24 is about $25 from this place http://www.bestskinsever.com/diy-skins . I have no idea how you would deal with the edges though. General use would make the edges want to start to peel. Perhaps stretch it over the handle with a little warmth and bond the sheet to it with epoxy? Also I'm sure if you could find out what the actual material is you could get it cheaper than through them. I've heard its the same stuff they put on the edges of helicopter rotors but I don't know how true that is.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top