Wanting to get into custom knife scales and work my way up, thoughts on tools?

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guyfromthenorth

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Feb 9, 2025
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Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and hoping I'm in the right place. I've tinkered in the past with lathe work and embedding exotic woods into tinted epoxy (one of the dragon eggs I made attached below). I debated on going down a route of bowls and what not, but then came across some really nice looking epoxy\wood knife scales online and thought that may be a more manageable "smaller scale" project for me to start with. A few question for everyone:

1) I'm not looking at hammering steel and doing hot work just yet, so I'd prefer to buy blade blanks and make scales. I am in Canada and did find one blank supplier in Alberta that looks to be decent quality and includes a sheath. I don't know if it's against forum rules but if anyone has any reputable blank supplier companies they use feel free to let me know.

2) For tools I'm thinking a bench sized drill press, vertical belt sander\disc sander combo, table saw, vacuum pump\vessel, and total boat deep pour epoxy, maybe West System GFlex for adhering scales to the tang. I already own dremmels and other general hand\power tools. Any other recommendations for scale work tools? I am trying to think of a bench mounted polishing setup without just duct taping my drill ON and trying to use that somehow.

3) I really want to embed some of the woods I have, for example I work as a wildland firefighter and I have some pieces of trees with visible lightning scars on them. I think they would be pretty unique to mount inside a handle, but being that most are softwood they won't be a good handle on their own. I've been thinking I would maybe epoxy the part of the wood to the blank, then hang the blank in a box mold and backfill with clear or sightly tinted expoxy then grind\sand to shape. That way the wood is visible but protected. Thoughts?

4) Knives see more outdoor use than some of the interior decorative pieces I've made like the one attached. Are there any recommended epoxies people are using for scales that are more UV resistant and less prone to yellowing\clouding over time?

Thanks for any insight. I'm also struggling to attach an image, every free host link I use says it can't load here. So I'll drop the link here and see if it works: https://freeimage.host/i/2po1GGn
 
Welcome guyfromthenorth.
Fill out your profile so people will know where you live at a glance, and a bit about you.

Nice egg turning.

While the resin filled wood knife handle scales have become more popular, and look really cool, the durability isn't great for a user knife. Most are just acrylic resins. There are more durable resins used for knife handles, like alumilite.
One method of using wood that may be too soft for scales is having the wood stabilized. This completely infuses the wood with a resin that is catalyzed and hardens. The resins used are pretty durable. There are several companies specializing in stabilization. K&G is the best around in this part of the world. Be aware that all "stabilization" methods are not the same. Some folks use other resins. Some, like Cactus Juice work OK for home stabilization, but are not as good as K&G's resins, and others, like Minwax hardener, are not much good at all.

A caveat on picking handle materials - What may look good on a tree or plank may not show much at all on a 1"X4" scale. Look for tight grain, curly or twisted figure, or unique colorization that shows on a scale. A good trick is to take a piece of cardboard and cut out a rectangle 2X5". This is the size of most handle blocks or scale blanks. Place it over the wood being considered and see what the smaller section looks like.
 
The belt/disc combo will work but not as good as a purpose built stand alone belt grinder. I suppose the belt grinder is center of orbit, meaning the #1 tool, at least for me. You can get one as cheap as $50USD at Harbor Freight or as expensive as $4k. To me, variable speed is a must have.

Edit
After realizing you just want to make scales, not knives, (I was publicly educated, in Texas, reading is hard) that combo might be better. The one I have is a little fast for wood though.
 
Google knife kits and you'll find a good supplier.
It sounds like you have good basic tools/machines to get started.
I enjoyed a flex-shaft on my dremel.
Just go for it!
 
For tools and if you are just starting out, you can definitely make handle scales with files and a hand drill.

A small vice with multiple planes, eg Stanley is nice for fixating your work and turn it around as you sand and shape. Also sanding drums/rolls for the dremmel/hand drill will be helpful to attack the inside curves of the handle.
 
Great info so far everyone, i really appreciate the insight. I figured as well that resin scales are not as durable for lifelong hip sheath working knives, but I'm leaning more decorative gifts for friends and what not so I'm ok with the cosmetic look trading off durability. I'll look into wood stabilizing for sure too! That'll give me a rabbit hole to dive down into.

Also good tips on tools, i totally forgot to add bench vise to the list when it is helpful for virtually everything. I'll gladly take any other advice anyone tosses in here and again I appreciate the insight and encouragement.
 
I actually use a machine clamp more then my vice.
I'd pick the latter if I could have oney one(plus a good clamp)
 
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A good Disc sander will invaluable.

If I can suggest think you’d be better off instead of making wood resin hybrids to make segmented scales for a few reasons.

1. I want my wood to be professionally stabilized usually K&G. I’ve been burned to many times by poorly stabilized woods.

2. I prefer and most prefer very figured/burly woods which is hard to find burl dense enough to properly translate to the relatively small canvas of a knife scale.

3. The wood resin look has been done a lot and is a bit limited imo. Also it matters to me what brand of resin is used some finish much better/easier than others.

4. I see segmented scales sell for $80-$120 using blends of wood, micarta, G10, carbon fiber, and other exotic materials.

5. Segmented scales have a great flow and symmetry to them. Plus you can get more creative with combos than just wood/resin hybrids.
 
Thescrawnylumberjack said:
A good Disc sander will invaluable.

If I can suggest think you’d be better off instead of making wood resin hybrids to make segmented scales for a few reasons.

1. I want my wood to be professionally stabilized usually K&G. I’ve been burned to many times by poorly stabilized woods.

2. I prefer and most prefer very figured/burly woods which is hard to find burl dense enough to properly translate to the relatively small canvas of a knife scale.

3. The wood resin look has been done a lot and is a bit limited imo. Also it matters to me what brand of resin is used some finish much better/easier than others.

4. I see segmented scales sell for $80-$120 using blends of wood, micarta, G10, carbon fiber, and other exotic materials.

5. Segmented scales have a great flow and symmetry to them. Plus you can get more creative with combos than just wood/resin hybrids.
Click to expand...
I had to google real quick as I hadn't heard the term segmented before, but seeing the image results that's kind of what I was shooting for when I was saying hybrid\wood\resin style scales. I like the look of the wood and some resin intermixed for color as opposed to a 100% resin handle. I do have access to stabilized burls, birdseye, and other fancy\exotic woods that have intricate grain patterns that I think would translate well to a handle as well. I'll keep digging and appreciate the thought!
 
guyfromthenorth said:
I had to google real quick as I hadn't heard the term segmented before, but seeing the image results that's kind of what I was shooting for when I was saying hybrid\wood\resin style scales. I like the look of the wood and some resin intermixed for color as opposed to a 100% resin handle. I do have access to stabilized burls, birdseye, and other fancy\exotic woods that have intricate grain patterns that I think would translate well to a handle as well. I'll keep digging and appreciate the thought!
Click to expand...
There are suppliers out there where you can get decent chunks of unstabilized or even stabilized wood for relatively cheap. If you’re strategic about how you cut it you can really make it go far. You could start with things like any of the true rosewoods because those don’t need stabilizing. Cocobolo is a favorite of mine. While it’s very rare for it to have any burl the figure can be really nice and it can have good contrast.
 
I use a mini-flattening jig with my router to make scales with flat and parallel sides out of chunks, boards, turning stock, etc.
 
I've made knives with combined wood/resin but I use a thick set casting resin and make sure its completely cured and sold before it use it. I usually use stabilized wood as well but it depends on the wood.
As Stacy said, fill out your profile and you might find someone close by who can help you out. Canada is a big place.
 
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