cord wrapped handles

[Andrew Barton]

gday Im wondering what people think of cord wrapped handles. I like the look, but it seems that it isnt that popular amongst the masses. If there is any one out there that shares the common interest can you share with me some different styles and some how to's. thanks guys

[Ray Rogers]

I haven't made a knife that way yet so I can't say much about how it should be done. There are plenty of people who do make them but I think it is a somewhat specialized market. The public perception is that, depending on the style of the knife, such knives are either traditional Japanese weapons or modern tactical weapons. I know that not all knives made that way are weapons but I think that is the perception.

They are very useful, durable, and practical but they don't look like the knives the average American or Australian thinks of when he's outfitting a hunting trip or choosing a working knife ....

[Andrew Barton]

Yeah I have noticed that. Maybe its just me being to lazy to have a go at the hard stuff. I like the japanese stuff thou. That's what got me going to make knives.
It looks like they are about to outlaw knives and swords in OZ. That's the other reason I started. It was starting to get hard to get your hands on some real funky nice stuff. There are various reasons mostly due to a small group of idiots. This really pisses me off. Just cause some idiot does't know how to look after them selves without the use of a weapons

[Jason Cutter]

I make a lot fo wrapped handled knives, and yes, there is an aura of "Samurai" around them. Wrapped handles polarise customers. There are those who love them and those who would never buy or use a wrapped handled knife.

Personally, I consider the wrapped handle in modern terms (cord wrapped, impregnated with epoxy...) to be one of THE MOST SECURE handle styles around. Regardless of handle shape and profile, the twisted cord wraps give outstanding grip. The expense is in longer-term comfort. The undulating shapes of the handle also make cleaning a chore sometimes. If I wore gloves a lot, the aggrresively textured wrapped handle would be highly suitable, especially when working around slippery, wet materials, including underwater.

For beginning knifemakers, wrapped handles are a popular way to start, because it can also cover a whole range of ills. Some makers will not like me saying this, but I am not referring to anyone, just a general statement for consideration. Wrapped handles negate the need for a nice tang treatment, flattening, tapering, drilling, etc., before applying the "handles" and if wrapped over the plunge cuts, there's no need to make them match up. Generally, I also find them faster to do than a regular slab-handled knife. All the better, and I exploit those characteristics myself.

The wrapping has to be done well and the epoxy has to be applied properly, so the whole affair doesn't look like a sodden mess. Some wrapping types look better than others and it can be a pain to learn how to do the wrap itself - a lot of experimentation involved.

Your better half may also wonder why the heck you keep playing with black shoelaces (a popular way to wrap handles - black boot laces).

To each their own. Jason.

[Burchtree]

I love buying and making them.

There are many different styles -- here is a little gallery of some traditional pieces for some eyecandy: (pics are dark on some).

http://home.planet.nl/~sebregts/

[Darren Ellis]

Originally posted by Burchtree
I love buying and making them.

There are many different styles -- here is a little gallery of some traditional pieces for some eyecandy: (pics are dark on some).

http://home.planet.nl/~sebregts/

Hey Michael, that link doesn't seem to work....can you check it, I'd love to see the gallery!

-Darren

[Burchtree]

hmm. should work.

http://home.planet.nl/~sebregts/

BTW, this was compiled by a Mr. Dean on the other forums.

[Darren Ellis]

hmmm, that's strange, now it is working! ...got an error message before...maybe they were doing something with the server...thanks for checking it, sorry for the trouble...



-Darren

[Jason Cutter]

Fantastic link, Michael. Many thanks. Just added it to my Favourites ! Jason.

[Andrew Barton]

Truly nice handles. Now to find out how to do it... Thank you to all.

[tonn]

Originally posted by Andrew Barton
Truly nice handles. Now to find out how to do it... Thank you to all.

http://pages.prodigy.net/tlbuck/tsuka/tsuka.htm

This link may help you.

[Andrew Barton]

Thank you so much for this link. It is opening doors all over the place.

[McAhron]

a book on knots and croche(spelling?)will help you with making different types of patterns

[Andrew Barton]

didn't think of that sort of thing. Good Idea. ta

[Joe H.]

This is how I do it, except i dont put the underlayer on, it seemed redundent to me and it made the handle to bulky.

http://www.throwzini.com/cord_wrapping.html