Resin impregnated cord wrapped handle?

madbomber1998

madbomber1998

Joined
Nov 27, 2008
Messages
182
Heya.

Ok, so I put a micarta handle on a Fallkniven knife blank (S1 model) and the handle isn't wide enough for me (not thick, wide as in blade edge to spine wide) - anyways, I'm thinking about thinning the handle down a bit more then wrapping it in something to make it wider. The question is what?

I saw someone's knife on here that was wrapped in shark skin then partially (front and butt of handle) wrapped in some kind of really thin cord that was impregnated in resin. Was thinking about doing something like this...

1. Do you guys have any other ideas for making the handle wider (without redoing the whole handle)

2. Got any good pictures of a resin wrapped handles?

3. What kind of cordage to use? I don't want to use paracord (way to thick for what I want to do)

4. How exactly do you do resin cord wrapping?

5. I was thinking about using that skateboard tape wrap instead of shark skin. Ideas, thought, etc?
 
You'd have to redo the handle, but a hidden tang handle would give you the ability to make it as tall as you want.

You could wrap the handle you've got with one of those sports grip wrap products they make for tennis rackets.
 
I think you can find the cord on www.knifekits.com

The CRK&T Hisshou I bought has the cord wrapped handle, but it was not resin impregnated. Now, it has been super glue impregnated. I used the type that comes with a brush and simply "painted" it onto the cord. I actually applied like 5 or 6 coats on it. It took me two bottles to do it, so it is not an expensive proposition, and it makes the handle feel like micarta or G-10, as it becomes very hard.
 
Any girly crafts shop will offer a huge array of cord. Look for one you like that is loosely woven of a natural fiber so the resin can sink in. Some synthetics can be dissolved by the resin. Any auto parts store will sell you a quart of epoxy resin. Get your wrap the way you want it, mix your epoxy according to the directions, and dip for a couple of minutes.

The tricky part will be getting the surplus off. You have about half an hour working time. A large potato comes in handy for holding the blade so the epoxied hilt can't glue itself to anything. Vinegar on soft cotton cloth will remove epoxy before it sets. Avoid cotton balls or swabs. They tend to shed fibers and make your finished surface furry.

Get it right the first time 'cause once it's on, it ain't coming off. I'd use a $3 special for a first effort before trying it on a Fallkniven blade. Quart of resin will make several batches so that's not a problem.
 
Magnussen, a member and knifemaker here on Bladeforums does some of that on his creations. You can browse his site at http://www.wildertools.com/ and I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. He's a really engaging guy and makes amazing knives.
 
I use a low viscosity, long work time epoxy resin, and pull vacuum on the knife to make sure there is high saturation throughout the cord. After vacuum for about 10 minutes pull out and wipe off excess (use good rags as mentioned above... lint sucks, and some synthetics melt in my epoxy). Also as mentioned above, this is about as permanent as it gets. I tried cutting some off due to cosmetic defects, and cracked my vg10 spyderco moran while batoning through a bungee cord that i had use for wrap. It has to be sawn and the residue ground off
 
I have some regular loctite or whatever brand epoxy - the ones that come in the dual tubes to mix that you can get anywhere? Will that work, or should I get actual resin epoxy? Same ??? For superglue as someone mentioned above. Which is best?

Found some cordage here I will use already....
 
Super glue does not resist water as well as epoxy. If you fish and cut bait, go with the epoxy. Ditto if you live in a rain forest.
 
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