waterproof handle liner material

M

macald

Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
2
I'm new to knife making. What is a good waterproof handle liner material. I have used the vulcanized fiber material and like the look, but it is not waterproof. I have made a paring knife for my wife and the liner material swelled with the moisture. Has anyone used kydex? Any good suggestions?
Thanks
Mike
 
I don't get it. So all the folks who use vulcanized liner material in their knives have water permeable handles???
 
The only problem I had with a vulcanized liner material is fading colors. I used some white liner for my kitchen knives and from bright white it became gray/yellow after a year or so of intense use. Never had a swelling problem with it.
Mike, where did you get the liner material that you used?
If you decide to use Kydex be careful when buffing - it could melt and deform very fast when heated above 300-350F.
 
I got the vulcanized fiber from one of the better known knife maker suppliers. I know you should not leave a knife in water, but my wife doesn't understand that. I made a paring knife as one of my first trials to learn. I used a white liner next to the blade to set off a vine pattern file work with emerald green dymond wood as the handle material. The knife turned out very well. The white fiber liner not only swelled it also has discolored. So I am trying to find out what I can use for a white liner on a kitchen knife. I used straight 1/8" stainless pins glued in. The swelling of the liner has caused the pins to come loose. If I find a good liner material I will replace it and use corby bolts instead of pins.
Thanks,
Mike
 
It may be that you have glue starvation in the joint, and the scales separated. That will be cured by using Corby bolts.
Stacy
 
I don't think that the spacer material is your problem. I think that water was able to get in between the scales via the filework. I think that next time fill the filework with colored epoxy. This will showcase the filework and make the area watertight.

Did your wife put the knife in the dishwasher? That would loosen the glue and definitely cause the scales to swell.

Leave a pair of her shoes wet in the sink and when they swell and don't fit she might get your point about not leaving a knife in the sink.
 
I had the same problem, except I left mine out in the rain overnight. It actually cracked one of the stabilized Cal. buckeye burl scales too. Before that it was discoloring to a light brown... I'd used devcon 2 ton epoxy. Perhaps I should get some of that marine epoxy I hear about here

Edit- I got mine from Jantz
 
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