What do you think about bamboo skewer tang pins?

G

gordonquixote

Joined
Dec 18, 2009
Messages
107
I have so far epoxied my scales on the tang and used nickel-silver pins. I was thinking about using standard bamboo shishkabob skewers as handle pins on a few.

Before I set the nickel-silver pins in my last knife (second one total...) I tried the skewers and they fit a 1/8" hole perfectly. Bamboo is seriously strong, especially in the tensile plane of a pin.

Waddaya think?

Two reasons: availability (I have about 75 linear feet of 1/8" bamboo skewers:)) as well as 'something different'.

I was reading a recent thread on pins and I thought stripped copper electrical wire was a good idea as well.
 
Bamboo will work wonderfully, especially in conjunction with epoxy. Traditional samurai swords had the blade held to the haft with a simple pin, so it has to work.

Funny you mention it because I was thinking about doing the same thing. It wouldn't take anything to whittle a skewer to fit the hole, you could even drive one in from both sides, meeting in the middle with an overlapping skew cut on the pin ends.
 
^I'd probably use a full length pin in lieu of two pieces for tensile strength.

I would say three pins in a 5-6" handle (plus epoxy of course).
 
Having no real experience, except that I have 2 different boxes of bamboo skewers (both of different quality) and have done lots of barbecuing with them, I would agree that the tensile or ability to stretch them would be acceptable. However I would be skeptical of its ability to withstand a significant amount of lateral force without cracking. That is where my inexperience comes in because I don't know what kind of lateral pressure is applied to scales in normal use, but I would think it would be a decent amount.
 
Think about it like this:

The shear forces applied to the handle are being focused on that one part between the slabs and the tang. That's a very small area that is also supported by the adhesive bond of the epoxy. To shear through the bamboo, you're going to have to shear through the epoxy, of which there is a whole lot more.

What on earth would you be doing that could cause this? Ever heard of an unsupported slab (epoxied on, no pins) popping off when whittling, batoning firewood, or skinning a deer?

With the quality of today's epoxies, the pins are more decorative than anything else. They do give you some leeway in the quality/application of epoxy, but you'd have to really screw something up to get the handles to pop off under tension or shear forces.
 
My advice as a maker is for a "user" knife use some sort of metal. Copper, Brass, Nickle Silver, Steel, Titanium, whatever you like just make sure you also peen it on and then clean up the peened pin. the reason is it gives the knife a MECHANICAL fastener and not just a Chemical fastner (epoxy) so if one fails you have the other, for redundancy. If it is just an art piece then the sky's the limit, make a pin out of a qtip if that's your fancy.

Jason
 
Why not use some blind pins made of what ever it is you like to use in the mix. Then use the Bamboo for show. This way you will get the best of both worlds.

I personally think it will look really cool. If you wouldn't mind I would like to use this myself.

Nick:)
 
I think its a great idea...that has been done for a very long time. Tensil strength is not the issue as much as shearing force. I would ude some glue in the ends after you sand it down flush then do a finish sanding over it.
Good luck.:thumbup:
Mace
 
mekugi used to keep the handle on a Nihonto is made of bamboo... It's been used for thousands of years...

EDIT: and people bet their lives on those tiny bits of grass!
 
Last edited:
VaughnT said:
Think about it like this:

The shear forces applied to the handle are being focused on that one part between the slabs and the tang. That's a very small area that is also supported by the adhesive bond of the epoxy. To shear through the bamboo, you're going to have to shear through the epoxy, of which there is a whole lot more.

What on earth would you be doing that could cause this? Ever heard of an unsupported slab (epoxied on, no pins) popping off when whittling, batoning firewood, or skinning a deer?

With the quality of today's epoxies, the pins are more decorative than anything else. They do give you some leeway in the quality/application of epoxy, but you'd have to really screw something up to get the handles to pop off under tension or shear forces.
Click to expand...

I have to completely disagree with the above. Lateral forces on knife handles are common and can exceeded the grip strength of most epoxies ( more on that later). A drop to the floor, striking the butt will shear the glue joint instantly. The pins need to be strong enough to hold the scales on without any epoxy between the tang and scales ,or it is insufficient as a rivet, and merely decorative. And, yes, I have heard of unpinned handles popping off many times.

Glue, regardless of how powerful, is only as good as its grip allows and the thickness of the joint. Many (most) new makers overclamp the scales onto a smooth and flat tang, thus squeezing out all the glue...leaving essentially an unglued handle. One trip through the dishwasher or drop to the floor and the handle pops off.

Japanese swords and knives have the tsuka fitted to the tang as a socket, not as scales. The bamboo mekugi is there to hold it in place, not to hold it on. The bamboo is not the same stuff as a skewer, either. It is compressed hard bamboo, tapered, and much thicker than a skewer. Often the mekugi is soaked in water and then compressed into the mekugi ana. This makes it extremely tight and strong, but it is only holding the tightly fitting tsuka in place.

All that said,For a small EDC, bamboo skewers would be fine if the tang is relieved to make a glue reservoir. I would also drill many extra holes in the tang to allow epoxy to bond the scales together. Using a structural epoxy is also recommended (T-88 or Acraglas)

Stacy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top