Sculpted handles for Hidden tang knives

blindhogg

blindhogg

Joined
Feb 21, 2001
Messages
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I have made a grand total of about 3 or 4 hidden tang knives and I cant quite get the sculpted handles that Nick Wheeler or Phillip Patton or all the other talented guys can do easily.
So I was wondering, is there other knifemakers in the same boat as myself. If I had a just the handle and guard of a knife with a sculpted handle I think I could get the proportions right on my knives handles.
Is there a demand for a talented knifemaker to make just the handle and guard of a knife. If your in the same boat as me and would be willing to pay for just the sculpted handle and guard of a knife say so here.
Chris
 
Chris, my suggestion is to practice what it is that you want to get good at. If your next step in knifemaking is a sculpted handle study the designs that appeal to your eye and practice them. Nick Wheeler did a WIP a few months ago and show in detail how he sculpts his handles using center lines for symmetry. I guarantee with a little practice you'll be pumping out some great designs of your own in no time at all. Good luck.
 
If it was easy to do everyone would do some. If you have even a bit of ability to doit keep at it and keep doing the parts you have trouble doing well until you get good at them too !!! Frank
 
Draw out lots of variations. Start with what you want and then start pushing the designs to the extremes. You might find that something different than what you were thinking at the beginning works better. Mike said it, practice.

Wayne Suhrbier
 
blindhogg said:
I have made a grand total of about 3 or 4 hidden tang knives and I cant quite get the sculpted handles that Nick Wheeler or Phillip Patton or all the other talented guys can do easily.
So I was wondering, is there other knifemakers in the same boat as myself. If I had a just the handle and guard of a knife with a sculpted handle I think I could get the proportions right on my knives handles.
Is there a demand for a talented knifemaker to make just the handle and guard of a knife. If your in the same boat as me and would be willing to pay for just the sculpted handle and guard of a knife say so here.
Chris
Click to expand...


I'd be willing to bet that all those really talented makers would not say it is necessarily easy. Or maybe it is easy for them today, but I bet is wasn't always. Sculpting handles is something that I really struggle with too. Seeing a handle that just instantly looks right and also feels right is definitely a rarity for me, but as the others said I plan to continue to practice until it becomes "easy". Personally, I like to make the entire knife, start to finish, myself. Good luck.

-Mike
 
Grab some Playdoh and 'play'. When you have something that feels/looks good, use it for a pattern for a handle.
 
A common mistake when making an organic design is to make a blob shape. You will notice their handles have clean flowing lines and crisp edges. You don't get that just sanding and rounding. You have to have a plan and a strategy.
 
Thanks for the mention Chris :)

I think the biggest mistake most guys make, is to try and copy the shapes they see in a two dimensional photograph of a knife like Jason Knight's. The first component is getting down the FEEL you want... then the shape/look will be there. There are a lot of photos that pop up of knives that, at first glance, look like they're shaped like Jason's, but when you see other shots of the handle you can see they left things thick, or blocky. If they really went for feel first, then the thick and blocky parts wouldn't be there.

It takes me quite a bit of hand work to do my handles. I just haven't come up with a way to do all the shaping and finishing on a machine. But that's okay with me. :)

As you're shaping a handle, grab a pencil and lay out lines where your fingers are, where the meat of your hand hits the handle, etc... and that will REALLY help. I think so anyway, I still do it with every knife! :)
 
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