Spanish Cedar on Handle?

[redsquid2]

Here's a concept floating through my head: a relatively fat handle for a hidden tang knife. The handle would have a thick maple core, with thin spanish cedar panels on the right and left sides. Front and back would be tapered/narrowed.

I don't know. Just thinking about all the spanish cedar scrap I've got, but it's so soft.

Anybody ever use this wood in their handles?

 

[hodgescl]

sounds like it would work. maybe a frame handle?

 

[redsquid2]

sounds like it would work. maybe a frame handle?

Frame handles are way beyond my level of experience. I guess you mean framing the cedar on all four sides. A frame handle is a piece of fine jewelry, at least the ones i have seen. I leave those to the real knifemakers.

I was thinking more like 3/4" maple center, with 1/8" panels of spanish cedar on either side. The tang would be epoxied into a hole drilled into the maple center. Spanish cedar is probably too soft for that sort of thing.

 

[Britt_Askew]

Spanish cedar is probably too soft for that sort of thing.

This would be my guess too.

not sure if you can stabilize it, if so that would probably make it useable.