stacked leather handles

[tcovel]

I'm trying my first stacked leather handle.what should I use to seal the leather after the handle has been ground to shape?

 

[Bowiemaker]

I use super glue.I finish grind with a "new" 400gr belt and then saturate the leather with super glue.After the glue dries go over again lightly with the same belt as the glue will raise the grain somewhat.After that wipe on 2 or 3 light coats (I use a folded tissue with 4 or 5 drops on it)letting each coat dry before applying the next then buff.Another thing I do as I'm stacking up the leather washers,spacers,ect is to coat each one with slow set epoxy and working quickly put every thing in a special press that I made that compresses everything down tight.It consists of nothing more than two 1/4"X4"X4" aluminum plates that has a slot milled in the center of each one so that one will fit over the tang and the other over the blade. The two plates are connected by two 1/4" all threads and these are used to compress the whole mess.I let it set over night to set up.........John

 

[Kevin Davey]

I buff with wax (renaissance or beeswax), ..though sometimes I brush and buff with kiwi shoe polish to keep clean like a would a pair of leather boots.

 

[John Andrews]

I use regular commercial leather sealer to finish the handle. I don't want a brittle finish on the leather, nor want the surface of the washers brittle, either. A hard finish looks good, but it eliminates the advantages of a leather handle, my 2 cents worth.

 

[B . Buxton]

I cut small square leather pieces, slot them all the size of my tang and then soak them loosely in a jar of minn wax wood hardener. After they are well saturated I thread them on a alltread rod about 6 inches long, put a big washer on each end I tighten them down to squeeze them flat and tight. Let them dry for a couple days then remove the washers from the allthread and individually epoxy each one on the knife tang, filling any voids around the tang. Once I get the handle length I want, and since my tangs are all threaded on the ends I tighten the pommel down and let the epoxy set. 8- 12hrs later I grind to shape and finish sand., buff and I'm done. You wouldn't need to thread these on the allthread, you could just stack them on the tang right out of the wood hardener, but its a lot less messy on the knife if you use the all thread first and let them dry good. Done this way the handle feels great in the hand and is pretty well weather resistant. Hope this helps a little.

Bill

 

[David Wesner]

Just curious Bill whether or not the wood hardener acts like glue when squeezing them(the leather washers) down with the all thread.In other words,do you have to peel them apart after removing from the all thread to epoxy them together on the tang?I am just getting ready to do a stacked leather handle myself on a job but had a different technique in mind,this topic popped up at just the right time.The reason I ask is that I use minwax wood hardener for a medium in a vacuum stabilizing rig here in my shop and found it to be rather "sticky" or "glue like" . Just wondering,your method sounds interesting-and having seen your past projects,I'd have to say your kind of like E.F. Hutton, " When B. Buxton talks , I listen " Have a great weekend fellas !!

 

[B . Buxton]

David, I wish I had EF Huttons money. The leather sticks together a little bit but it will usually fall apart when handling, if not I just pry them apart with my finger nails, doesn't take much. Ron Duncan glues up his handles with the leather washers, grinds them close to finish and then sticks the knife in his vacuum chamber and pulls the minn wax wood hardener then. He lets it dry and then finish sands. My vacuum jar wasn't big enough for that last bowie so I did it like this.

Good luck,

Bill

 

[RUJOCO]

After initial shaping of guard I stack on the leather washers with epoxy, tighten down with 2 washers and let dry. Shape the handle and guard to 90%, washers and all(washers are cheap) I add my pommel piece and shape to completed handle.Dip the whole handle in a concoction of warm bees wax and leather sealer a couple times and buff it up.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

RUJOCO uses the same technique that I do (I use atom wax top seal it).
While we are at it,the same stacked style can be done with birch bark (a Scandinavian style) and looks wonderful.I also stack wafers of elephant hide,buffalo hide,and on one occasion - ray skin.Other things that you can do are - add a spacer(s) of burl wood,put a thin piece of metal (brass,aluminum,nickel) every three or four washers,or use different colors of leather.You can also stack neoprene,plastic sheets,and phenolic sheets.

 

[RUJOCO]

The beeswax concoction works for dipping my sheaths too. That's multi-tasking. And yes I add spacers also. All in all its a pretty easy handle to do.

 

[Guitarist7.62]

What about hot waxing? Or is that what their saying above, it sounds like they just rub it on the block of wax and buff.

 

[Hengelo_77]

Waxed leather is beautiful. Just be careful not to burn the leather on the grinder. A dull belt will burn the leather and it won't take the finish any more and you won't be able to see the beautiful structure any more.
Also make sure you orient all the washers the same way. Smooth side up or down. Get one the wrong way up and it will stick out like a sore thumb

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Umm, this is a nine year old thread folks.....closed.