Cord wrapping

[Vuk]

I made a knife out of an old mower blade, and now I want to create a handle for it. As I have no experience in wood working or finishing, I thought that the best handle to make would be a wrapping.
I found this tutorial online:
http://www.throwzini.com/cord_wrapping.html
I was wondering if it would be possible to do the same thing with rawhide strip, and if that has ever been done.
I tried it on a flat peice of metal with rawhide, and tied it as tight as I could, but it slid a lot and was not very good. I am not sure if that was because of my job or the rawhide, but I was hoping that maybe there is a way to do it with rawhide that would work better.

Thanks,
Vuk
PS I am not looking to create any historical weapon, just make a good handle for my knife.[/code]

[Destichado]

I did that on my first sword -great ugly brute of a thing- and I never had luck with it. Wetted rawhide cord will tighten up a bit, of course, but in my opinion it doesn't make good handles.

Wooden scales with an epoxy filler is by far your best bet.

[Vuk]

I did that on my first sword -great ugly brute of a thing- and I never had luck with it. Wetted rawhide cord will tighten up a bit, of course, but in my opinion it doesn't make good handles.

Wooden scales with an epoxy filler is by far your best bet.

hmmm...that is what I was afraid of. You see, the problem is that right now I am a little cashless. Do you think I could make one out of some old treated pine boards, or would that make a bad handle? That and plywood is really the only spare wood I have lying around now. (Though I could cut down some of that old scrub oak if that would make a good handle)

EDIT: If I made it out of would, what types of pins would I use, and where could I buy them. I have been reading about it, and ever tutorial I see calls for pins, but says nothing about them.

[Konstantin the Red]

Pins are nothing but short lengths of brass or nickel-silver rod, driven into predrilled holes through scale and tang, maybe peined a little to make certain they will stay, then sanded and polished flush with the handle scale. In some ways pins are not unlike nails or headless rivets, whose heads show up much bigger on a knife handle than an array of pins does. With money in the checking account, they can be ordered from Atlanta Cutlery, which also has handle scale materials that combine looks with durability. Except maybe for antler or horn, whose grinder dust is noxious to breathe (respirator mask, no exceptions!) and which can be burned or may get a little too brittle. Not a material for newbies. The function over style guys are commando-ing it with nylon cord wrap, sometimes field covering this with weapons grip tape (military tennis racket tape, apparently) or micarta in macho SWAT black or camo-tones. Micarta is a composite of usually linen fabric or paper, layered together with polymer resins. Paper micarta looks a lot like synthetic ivory, linen micarta shows a rather attractive weave-texture grain when its layers are ground to shape. The material is very stable and durable.

Deadwood scrub oak handle scales might do passably well. Cutting live scrub oak means you've got half a year's drying and seasoning to do, while learning how to counteract oak's tendency to crack on drying. Some people know how; I don't. Sticking the scale on the tang with strong epoxy and then reinforcing the epoxy bond with the pins is typical, and will give you an exceedingly durable knife, which is a good thing.

I can't imagine pine lasting for more than a couple of seasons of heavy field knife use, and there are splinters to consider. By the time you use enough urethane finish to make a couple of pieces of pine handle scale into something they aren't, you'll have gotten the idea it was effort down a rathole.

Or if (?) you've got a bandsaw or table saw, and have rounded up an old, wrecked bowling ball -- find out if your bowling alley has any chewed-up ones lying around -- you can saw that up for handle scale slabs. Tough stuff, bowling ball plastic. I'd want a bandsaw for work like this, not a hand tool.

What size blade, how thick, how heavy, and what sort of work is your knife designed around? There are chopping field knives like short machetes, there are bowies the size (and effect) of Roman short swords, small practical hunting knives, thinbladed slicing tools, small skinners, li'l bitty pocket knives...

If necessary, put the project by until you can raise some cash for what you want to use.

[losthelm]

I would sugest keeping your eyes open and talk with the local cabnet shops or flooring guys. Often the scrap is just a bout the right size for this type of project.
Frunature someone threwout for the trash man can also yeald a few bits.

Pine does not hold up for handles and green wood will usualy split if not properly seasoned.

Think of the pins as rivets that help keep the scales on. Brass braising rod from the welders supply work well for the Pins.

I would sugest hitting your local library and see if they have a copy of
Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop also check interlibrary loan.
or try amazon.com sometimes you can do better on price though Ebay.

[Vuk]

Thanks for the advice guys. I will look into the bowling ball thing. I do have a table saw, but not a band saw.
As far as what the knife is, I cut it out of an old mower blade that was going to be thrown away a few years ago, and it has just been sitting around since (I started going to college and had a lot less time ). It was warped, so I heated it with a torch and banged it out with a hammer on my little anvil attached to my vise. I had originally intended for it to be a bowie knife like the one I had when I was a kid, but I ended up cutting it down a lot because it weighed so much. It is about 10 inches long from tip of blade to end of tang. It is also quite thick. I posted some pictures of it in my hand to give you an idea.







I know that it is very crude. I am a horrible metal worker. (It kind of looks like an orc weapon, doesn't it? ) I tried shaping the blade with my table grinder, but I could not get a straight angle, so I plan on reshaping it with my dremel tool as soon as I get that fixed. (if I can put it in the vise I know that I can get a decent angle with the dremel tool)
I really don't know a lot about making knives. This is my first try.

[Konstantin the Red]

Well, Atlanta Cutlery sells how-to books also. The method you were using is called "stock removal," and many knife makers use it alone, to good effect. The essential tool for well done stock removal is the belt sander with various grits of belt. Others forge.

For the boy with a forge -- if and when -- there are always Jim Hrisoulas' three bladesmithing books. With that stuff under your belt, you'd've first been working your mower blade with a hammer and heat treating the thing. Cool stuff.

When you want to build skill, the first thing you invest in is some knowledge. As long as you don't stop at studying, but thereupon set to with your tools, your results will be maximized.

[Vuk]

Well, Atlanta Cutlery sells how-to books also. The method you were using is called "stock removal," and many knife makers use it alone, to good effect. The essential tool for well done stock removal is the belt sander with various grits of belt. Others forge.

For the boy with a forge -- if and when -- there are always Jim Hrisoulas' three bladesmithing books. With that stuff under your belt, you'd've first been working your mower blade with a hammer and heat treating the thing. Cool stuff.

When you want to build skill, the first thing you invest in is some knowledge. As long as you don't stop at studying, but thereupon set to with your tools, your results will be maximized.

Thanks. I really didn't know where to look for info. Also, when I started I had the misconception that it was a very simple and straight forward process. I'll read up more on it.

[matthijs]

It is fairly simple and straightforward, it just helps if you don't have to reinvent the wheel.