What glue is best for cracked handles?

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kaosu04

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Apr 26, 2005
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So I'll admit I live in arizona and havent been putting any kind of oil on my khukri handles. Now my AK has a crack running length wise almost all the way from guard to pommel. Just wondering what kind of glue you guys prefer fill them in with and what the easiest method is for getting it into the cracks. When this crack travels all the way through to the pommel would I have to replace the handle? How long will the glue help for?

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You can either use Superglue or Epoxy. Superglue is a bit easier since you won't need to mix in wood dust beforehand.
Fill the crack with superglue. Let it congeal. Then take 220 grit sandpaper and sand from around the crack into the crack so that wood dust mixes in. For epoxy, you mix some wood dust in it first and then fill the crack. Sand until level. When dry, use finer grits of sandpaper to finish.
 
I think maybe I'll try the super glue method. Sounds like it would be easier to get it deeper into the crack. Is this a good sign of just dryness causing this, or is it basically just something that is inevitable and doesn't affect the integrity of the handle?

Thanks for the help and the timely response.
 
As it's been so hot in AZ lately, chances are that it is dryness.
Caring for the handle is just as important as caring for the carbon steel blade.
Some BLO, Tru-Oil, Tung Oil....etc would have likely prevented it. If you fix it now, before it can crack further, it will likely provide many more years of service. For horn handles a good cheap preventative oil is Pharm grade mineral oil. The same as you would use on the blade.
 
This crack is not deep, so I recommend to use superglue. For the epoxy to be effective, two things are important:
1. You have to use a slow-curing type, they are much stronger in the long run (Golfsmith sells an excellent 2-part epoxy, it cures black).
2. The gap has to be large enough, epoxy has to be applied thickly and left to cure. This is directly opposite to the superglue, which needs only a thin coat to be effective.

Caution: Superglue is no match to an epoxy, it's too brittle and will crack easily under stress. Epoxy is much more flexible and strong. Whenever you can, use epoxy.

I also read somewhere, that if you handle the kukuri often enough, the palms of your hand provide the coating that prevents the wood from drying... Hope that helps.
 
Check out a type of superglue called Zap-A-Gap, great for filling small gaps in wood (and as of last night; in freshly cut fingernails...).
 
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