Stabilizing a wrapped handle- what to use?

E

elementfe

Joined
May 3, 2008
Messages
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I'd like to have my cake and eat it too, thank you very much- Does anyone know what I can put on paracord wrapping that would help to hold it in place and still make it possible to unwrap the cord either in an emergency or to redo it?
Perhaps a beeswax concoction?

Thanks!
Andy G.

Hope this image link works...
forged .125" O-1, 11" overall

2011-11-29%2B21.31.16.jpg
 
a wax or something of than nature might work, but I think you asking a bit much if you want to to me like both epoxy soaked and free paracord.
 
I struggled with this years ago. Wax dipping can help hold things together but in the end, you really CAN'T have your cake and eat it too. I even tried that rubberized tool dip stuff.... lol.
 
Thanks, it makes sense- and it's really not that hard to carry spare paracord, and at that, this isn't the kind of knife I'd probably take deep into the back blocks.
Rick, I really admire your handles, you can probably tell I've been spending some time studying your site!
Andy G.
 
It's probably too late for this one, unless you wanted to tear the cord wrap off and start over. My solution is to grind a slight notch/taper into the tang along the top and sometimes bottom that the cord wrap sits in to keep it from sliding off the back. My handle shapes keep it from sliding forward, but you could do the same there. I make it a fairly smooth transition, the handle just curves down a bit further where the cord wrap will end. I smooth it out a bit so it doesn't eat at the cord and make it about 1/2-2/3 the depth of the cord. That's usually plenty to stay in place, particularly when it's top and bottom. You could go just shy of full depth if you wanted to be really sure.

Other than that, I'm with Rick, there doesn't seem to be a good solution. You could put just a dot of epoxy at the point where the ends are so you can cut that off and redo it, but that's not a particularly elegant solution. Rick's mention of the tool dip gives me an idea though. What if the tang was dipped FIRST. Get a nice rubberized layer, cut off the part that would show once wrapped, THEN wrap it up? The cord wrap digs into the rubber, which is tacky enough and provides more traction for the cord.... It's not exactly traditional but it might work.

I really like that wrap, very nice work. I've never managed anything that pretty, which is why I stick to really basic wrapping. I guess I need more practice.
 
Thanks, Rem, but I felt hopelessly dyslexic while I was doing it- it seemed like I just HAD to do at least half of the twists backwards and redo them...lots of going back and lining everything up.
It actually looked better with the under-wrap, just plain gutted cord wrapped round and round, but that's not really that helpful.
I like your idea of grinding a little notch, but the last idea is just tacky.
...sorry, is it still Tourrette's when you can't keep from vocalizing a pun?
Andy G.
 
I used recessed channels and dipped the tang in spar varnish to keep it from rusting. You can also run a bead of epoxy along the top and bottom edge of the tang/handle. It would hold well enough and not be too difficult to remove in a pinch.

Rick
 
LOL, yes, tacky is a good word for it. I may try it for some shop knives though. I'm curious how well it would work on something with a fairly straight tang.
 
elementfe said:
I'd like to have my cake and eat it too, thank you very much- Does anyone know what I can put on paracord wrapping that would help to hold it in place and still make it possible to unwrap the cord either in an emergency or to redo it?
Perhaps a beeswax concoction?

Thanks!
Andy G.

Hope this image link works...
forged .125" O-1, 11" overall
Click to expand...

This is just an idea but you could epoxy soak the handle on the knife and rig the sheath where you could wrap 10-12 feet of paracord on the sheath. You can't have your cake and eat it too but maybe you can have your cake and eat your pie. :)

randy
 
Are you just looking for the extra cord if you need it for emergency fishing or the like?

You could make some sort of a belt loop out of braided paracord and hide it completely behind the sheath. Maybe even make it out of one of those "survival bracelets" somehow and incorporate the clips? Maybe use para to stitch a sheath so you could cut it at one end and pull it back thru?
 
You could do one layer epoxied and secured well, and a second layer that is just wrapped and tied, but secured at the ends with something you can chip off with a rock or just untie it, etc. If you're just wanting extra paracord that is.
 
You can always get some nylon crochet string, they make it in black, and lash the end of the cord wrap and then use clear finger nail polish just on the lashing. It will keep things in tacked but you could always pull it off to get to the cord if needed.
 
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