"Rounding" AK handle point

J

Jon

Joined
Nov 8, 1998
Messages
276
I'm getting ready to round the "handle point" on an AK. I know this isn't a new topic but was wondering if there are any tips/tricks/etc. from those who have already done it? Seems like a straight forward Dremel Tool task but is there anything to watch for - horn handle splits, butt cap comes loose, etc.

TIA
 
Be sure to ahve some 200, 400 and 600 grit snadpaper handy. How you round the point isn't really important. But you'll find that getting that high polish on it is difficult, if not impossible to make it look the way it did before. I use up through 600 grit, then a dremel w/ buffing wheel and white polishing compound. Still doesn't come out like the original mirror finish. the semi-gloss/semi-satin finish is kinda nice, though. it leaves a little "figure" in the horn.

Of course, if you're talking about wood handle, then regular woodworking principles apply. I also used Formby's lemon oil finish on both wood and horn. It does a pretty nice job of polishing and sealing wood and horn. Darkens the wood substantially.

Tom
 
Caveat #1:

The khuk I did this to was a villager, so I wasn't picky about looks.

Caveat #2:

This was a wood-handled khuk, YMMV with horn.

Method:

Coarse grit sandpaper and (literally) 30 seconds worth of work. Just take the very tip off the point. I mean, REALLY ***JUST*** the very tip. Then go out and give it a good workout.

I was startled. I expected to blunt the jabby little thing just enough to make it tolerable, and I'd break out Ye Olde Dremel later on to do the job right. Turns out its just fine as-is.

Mike

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"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
 
Pakcik Bill & Forumits.

Being a small built Asian I have a relatively smaller hands than yours! - I always wander (wonder? ... I don't know which spelling is correct! LOL) why you need to round your Khukuri handle point! I faced no problem with that butt cap point unless if I hold it near to the bell part of the handle ... which I feel shouldn't be the correct way! If it is really dig your hand when you work with Khukuri ... it should also happen to me ... and it should also happen to those Gorkhas all these while ... then I guess those Gorkhas sould be the 1st one to round their Khukuri butt cap point ... but they didn't do that!!!

Please make me understand!

NEPAL HO!
 
Mohd, it is all about handle size. If the handle is large enough, it is certainly possible to hold it far enough forward of the "bell" to where the tip doesn't dig into the palm. However, on a smaller handle, you don't have a choice -- for the obvious reason of safety, you have to grip far enough back from the blade, which forces your palm against the pointed part of the butt when using the khuk. So it's all relative -- the larger the user's hand, the more likely that he'll feel the need to round off the butt of an average-sized khuk.

By the way, "wonder" is correct.

[This message has been edited by Steven F (edited 06-12-2000).]
 
Thanks for the feedback folks, appreciated. Steven F. kind of hit the nail on the head - the handle is just a little too small for me, at least if I'm going to be using it for any amount of time.

A little "rounding" before the next time I use it should do the trick.
 
If you want a real mirror finish you'll have to go finer than 600 grit before you go to the buffing stage. The secret of polishing is the prepolish -- if it doesn't polish very quickly more polishing is not going to help; you need to go back to the prepolish stage.

You can get finer sandpaper at stores that sell auto body supplies.

-Cougar :{)
 
Thanks Cougar, info appreciated. I'll try your suggestions but this one is the main user & started life, at least with me
smile.gif
, as a blem and I'm not too worried about appearance as I've beat it up already, klutz that I am.
Very good info for the ones I want to keep nice looking though, thanks.
 
And sometimes very "helpful" answers to questions you deliberately didn't ask for the simple reason that you didn't _want_ to know the answer. LOL
 
Right on, Rusty.

Where is James of the 16 inch legal size scanner fame? The mod that was the impetus for this thread would have been impossible with the old style buttcap.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 06-13-2000).]
 
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