Stacked Leather Handle on a Full Tang Knife

[curtis K]

Ernie Grospitch and I have playing with the idea of stabilizing leather for several months now. My personal goal was to make a stacked leather handle on a full tang knife. Well sir, after lots of trial and error and the sharing of ideas with Ernie I final got it. I decided to put it on one of my work knives with all copper Loveless style bolts made by my buddy Jeff Petzke. I am very pleased with the results. Ernie has some photos on his website too. Curtis

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[S.Alexander]

That's neat looking. How did you do it? Did you stack the leather pieces up and glue them up, then cut into scales?

 

[Thomas Linton]

Western approach?

 

[FTR-14c]

My fathers Western Cutlery Scout Knife from the mid 50's
He passed away last week at 84 years old. I brought it home from New England and cleaned it up a bit. It is rock solid and cuts like a dream.

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[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The Western handle method uses "H" shaped leathers and a split tang ( double tang). It is a patented process, IIRC.

Here you go:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1167260-Western-Leather-Washer-Handle-Construction

 

[ponderingturtle]

The Western handle method uses "H" shaped leathers and a split tang ( double tang). It is a patented process, IIRC.

Here you go:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1167260-Western-Leather-Washer-Handle-Construction

If it was patented in the 50's that patent would have run out decades ago.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Maybe...maybe not. Depending on if they "improved" it and obtained multiple patents and extensions.

That won't prevent people from copying it on their own knives, anyway. As long as you don't introduce a line of commercial knives or try and trademark the design, it is pretty much a non issue, anyway.

 

[Thomas Linton]

An "H.C. Platts" knife was on ePrey recently.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

We may be starting to drift away from the OP.

 

[FTR-14c]

The Western handle method uses "H" shaped leathers and a split tang ( double tang). It is a patented process, IIRC.

Here you go:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1167260-Western-Leather-Washer-Handle-Construction

Thanks for that,
Its nice to see how this knife is put together.
No where near as solid as curtis Ks construction but holding together after all these years.

 

[FTR-14c]

If it was patented in the 50's that patent would have run out decades ago.

I believe this model was introduced in 1945 and ran to 1960

 

[FullyTorque]

I really like the leather scales. You mentioned stabilizing, what process and stabilizer did you use?
How did they work/finish? Is it similar at all to micarta?
Once proven to be durable, I could see these being a very popular handle material.
My only concern for durability would be delamination since the layers are perpendicular to the tang.