How to make a handle for a knife: choice of material, decor

Many people have a certain weakness for melee weapons. Some do not buy it, but try to make it themselves according to their needs. Naturally, if a person has forged a blade for himself, then he will try to make the handle himself. Let's figure out what shape the handles are, what material they are made of and how they are attached to the blade.

How to make a knife handle yourself

In most cases, the material for the handle is wood, but this is not at all necessary. You can use absolutely any materials to create an element.

Required tools

It is the selected "raw material" that will be the determining factor for the selection of tools. If you have to work with wood, you will have to stock up on various impregnations in order to protect the finished product not only from moisture, but also from other negative influences.

Wood is more commonly used because it is easy to reach and easy to handle. To manipulate it, you will need cutters, various chisels, possibly an engraving machine. When using metal, a vice and abrasive stones are indispensable. If the material is strong enough, then electric tools will be used. These are jigsaws, electric drills and much more.

How to determine the shape and size of the handle

Until now, no one has come up with special standards for the handle of a knife. The main thing is that it fits comfortably in your hand. For a good product, this part will be larger than the palm, by about 3–3.5 centimeters. If we consider the handle of a hunting blade, then when grasping it with a hand, the thumb should only slightly overlap the index finger. At the same time, he will not touch either the middle or the nameless, and even more so the little finger.

The shape of the handle is a special parameter. Excessively heavy - not always convenient. And in the manufacture it gives a lot of problems. Experienced craftsmen give preference not to superfluous beauty, but to practicality. Therefore, the most common are straight or oval-shaped handles. But be that as it may, and it is up to the master himself to determine what this part will be. And here you need to follow one, but very important rule: the handle must be made in such a way that it is pleasant to handle the instrument.

Material selection

Craftsmen use a wide variety of materials to make knife handles. Raw materials of natural origin (wood, leather, metal) and all kinds of products of the chemical industry (rubber, plastic) are also used. The choice of this or that material should be based on the experience of working with it, and of personal taste.

Wood

Most often, knife handles are made of wood. Usually harder types of wood are used for this. These include walnut, ash, birch, beech, cherry, hornbeam, oak, and maple.

But often there is a desire for the handle to be distinguished not only by strength, but also to stand out among others. Then you should pay attention to the exotic. In our area you will not find merbau, amaranth, bubinga or zebrano. But this wood is durable and looks very gorgeous. For the handle of a knife - that's it!

It may also happen that a piece of wood of the right size simply does not appear at hand. In this case, no one bothers to use a piece of parquet board. It's no secret that all floor coverings are made from hardwoods.

It is hard to argue that in some aspects wood is inferior to synthetic materials. After all, the latter wear out less and are more durable. But natural ones are easier to process, they have a unique texture and fit well in the hand. And it is pleasant to use such products even in winter.

Birch bark

Birch birch bark is also used as a material for the handle. It is very accessible and you need a little tool to work with it. The advantage of the material is that it contains birch tar. This substance perfectly protects against rot and moisture. Birch bark does not conduct heat well, which makes it possible to comfortably use the knife in any temperature conditions.

A top layer of birch bark is required. The material is cut into small pieces, which are treated with epoxy and, using a vice, are turned into a briquette. Since this material is easy to manufacture, the handle can be easily made in just a day. Of course, birch bark also has a drawback - it absorbs odors well. If you constantly cut fish or game with a knife with such a handle, then soon it will be saturated with odors that you cannot get rid of.

Leather

You can often find leather on the handles of knives. Moreover, it is found not only on Finnish models, but also on many others. The technology for working with such material is practically no different from manipulating birch bark.

Leather has disadvantages, like the previous material. She absorbs all smells with the same force. This imposes some restrictions. Usually, handles made of this material are found on camping and hiking knives. As a rule, no one uses them to cut fish and game. And you need to handle such things correctly. Otherwise, the process of decay will begin and you will have to replace the handle.

Attaching the handle to the blade

As soon as the handle of the knife is made, the question arises of how to make it integral with the blade. If it is equable, then the most elementary thing is to use glue or epoxy.

A hole is made in the handle, where you will need to insert the base of the blade. The recess is filled with adhesive, after which the shank is driven inward. The blade is pre-sealed with tape, which will protect it from contamination with glue. The knife itself is left in this state for two days, previously clamped in a vice.

Decorating Tips

Forging a knife and making a handle for it is only half the battle. A good product should highlight the style and personality of the wearer. This can be achieved with a beautiful design. The handle of the knife is exactly the detail where the master can demonstrate all his skills and imagination.

Usually handles are decorated with engraving, braiding or curly carving.. The lanyard looks beautiful on a knife, despite the fact that it is a simple loop or cord that is threaded through the hole in the handle. The top of the cast or cut looks very rich. But it is better to fix such elements if the shank has a thread. This should be planned during the development of the entire design.

The easiest way is to paint the pen or burn a pattern on it. To prevent abrasion, the surface is degreased. The main thing is that the degreaser is compatible with the paint base. For example, turpentine is well suited to oil.

Leather trim

Many craftsmen braid the handle with leather or cover it. The handle of the knife in such a sheath looks natural, and it lasts for a long time. In addition to beauty, the material is able to give the product a more professional look and smooth out some imperfections. A plastic handle covered in leather will grip much better.

Before pulling this material over the wood handle, the surface should be sanded and greased. Next, the wood is coated with glue and remains to dry. Then the leather is wrapped in a strip on the handle, after the first turn it is processed with glue and dried again. This is repeated until the complete end of the procedure. All skin clippings are removed with a blade.

Braid

Very often the handles of knives are decorated with braids. This decoration has become popular due to its simplicity. After all, the braid easily changes if you are already tired or worn out.

If desired, you can braid with a leather belt, but usually paracord is used for this. This material is available, lightweight. Its prices are low, and it serves for a very long time, since it is not subject to decay.