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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 04-22-2017, 06:31 PM
Gabriel G Gabriel G is offline
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opinon on handles

Quick question. I personally like smaller hidden tang knives. I made this to test a few things out but after showing the lathe turned handle I've gotten mixed reactions. how many of you use a lathe for your handles and what would you do differently as far as handles are concerned?


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Old 04-22-2017, 06:42 PM
WNC Goater WNC Goater is offline
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Not sure a lathe is the way to go. Round knife handles pretty much don't exist for a reason. There are some exceptions like some japanese kitchen knives with hexagon shapes etc. I guess the only style of knife that would use something round would be a puukko style knife and even then they are usually tapered and oval. I suppose you could turn something round and in the final finish sand it oval. Google Helle knives.
https://www.amazon.com/Helle-96-Viki...s=puukko+knife


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Old 04-22-2017, 07:46 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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I like the smaller knives with hidden tangs also. However, I never make one without pinning the handle with a single pin. Glue alone can hold for quite a while but I like to think of my knives being used a couple of centuries from now (probably won't happen but it's a goal).

As for round handles, as Goater said, there's a reason why you hardly see them. Simply put, you need to know where the edge is without having to look at the blade. Sure, you can choke up on the blade and get it between your fingers to keep it oriented but not everybody wants to do that. In a hurry, like grabbing the knife to cut a line that's about to drag your kid overboard, missing the edge could be a real problem ...


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Old 04-23-2017, 12:13 AM
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Icho Icho is offline
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I've done one handle on a lathe. It was my attempt at a fancier dagger. I wasn't designing it to be a user, even though it could be used, so I made a display stand instead of a sheath. As Ray said, you have to be able to index the blade by feel and with out looking at it. Imagine field dressing a deer with the knife in the chest cavity. Since you cannot see the blade you don't know where the edge is. I don't plan on using the lathe for a knife handle any time soon. Overall it is a good looking knife and you can test as is to see what you think about the round handle and there is enough material there where you should be able to shape it to more of a "traditional" shape.
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Old 04-23-2017, 01:31 AM
Gabriel G Gabriel G is offline
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It is oval in the hilt area. Picture doesn't show it but it is narrower towards the blade


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Old 04-23-2017, 06:22 AM
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Ed Caffrey Ed Caffrey is offline
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I build a lot of smaller, hidden tang knives. In general, a knife handle should be built to "fit" the human hand, not only in a comfortable manner, but it should also have a degree of "indexability"....meaning that an individual should be able to tell the orientation of the blade by the feel of the handle. To that end, just about all the handles I build have an upside down "teardrop" configuration, with the handle being smaller/thinner at the guard (front of the handle), and larger/thicker at the rear of the handle.

I teach students to think about the human hand, and how it closes around an object..... the smaller/tighter area of grip is where the thumb and forefinger come together, and the larger, more open area is where the heel/pinky area close around an object. There is also the element of how the hand curves... to that end I always put some "drop" in a handle near the butt end.

As it applies to all of that, it's incredibly difficult to achieve those things if the handle is turned on a lathe.
One thing a custom Knifemaker hates to hear is that a particular knife has a handle that looks/feels like a "broom handle".... and that's what generally occurs with a lathe turned handle.

The one exception that comes to mind is when creating a traditional Qullion Dagger..... that type of knife historically had a straight handle, fat in the middle, tapering to each end..... nothing better then a lathe for creating something like that.


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Old 04-23-2017, 07:54 AM
Gabriel G Gabriel G is offline
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Ed I looked at your website for visual reference and it makes sense. Do you buy or make the guards for most of your builds


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Old 04-23-2017, 01:47 PM
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Simple test - Use the knife as is, don't just play, work it! Then flatten the sides, break the harsh corners by sanding and re-do the work test. Should tell you all you need to know.
Most of the responses here are from experienced makers, most of us didn't get this part worked out just by reading. Testing is always important.
Nother thing you might want to do is go to a knife show and/or knife shop and just pick up a lot of diff knives/handles. It'll be clear which feel better or best. Practice emulating these styles to get closer to what "works" for you.


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Old 04-23-2017, 02:15 PM
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Gabriel,

Ed is an ABS Master Smith. I would be very surprised to find out he bought any of his guards...


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Old 04-24-2017, 06:59 AM
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Quote:
Ed I looked at your website for visual reference and it makes sense. Do you buy or make the guards for most of your builds
I make pretty much everything myself. All guards start out as some type of bar stock.... the size I use most is 3/8" thick X 3/4" wide. In general I use a 3/4" contact wheel to cut the "finger groove" into the guard, then finish it out on a slack belt on my grinder.... usually with a 1/2" wide of narrower belt(s).


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Old 04-24-2017, 11:29 AM
Gabriel G Gabriel G is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Caffrey View Post
I make pretty much everything myself. All guards start out as some type of bar stock.... the size I use most is 3/8" thick X 3/4" wide. In general I use a 3/4" contact wheel to cut the "finger groove" into the guard, then finish it out on a slack belt on my grinder.... usually with a 1/2" wide of narrower belt(s).
Thank you. That is helpful. Im really glad I joined this forum


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Old 04-24-2017, 04:39 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
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Oyster knives tend to have a bulbous round handle for shucking oysters so that may be something you can look at.
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blade, edge, finish, fixed blade, guards, handle, handles, hidden, hidden tang, japanese, kitchen, kitchen knives, knife, knife handles, knives, made, make, material, pinning, problem, puukko, sand, sheath, show, tang


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