Putting new handles on old knives etc...

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Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Stix » 16 Jan 2019, 6:06 pm

Anyone able to give any advice on how to go about putting a new handle on this ol' beast...?

The existing handle has split & makes it dangerous to use...

It really has a decent amount of weight to it & it comes up pretty sharp without even putting a proper grind on it...so it would be a shame to not be able to use it because of no handle... :unknown:

Any pointers, advice, direction steering would be great.

Cheers
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(Helps if i add the pic... :roll: )

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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by bigpete » 16 Jan 2019, 6:53 pm

I'd make a sword style grip and peen a butt plate onto it
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Gaznazdiak » 16 Jan 2019, 6:54 pm

This is purely personal taste Stix, but if that beauty was mine, I'd use the bottom of an axe handle.

I'd drill it horizontally for a tight fit and drill the wide end of the tang for one or two bronze hand rivets.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by bigpete » 16 Jan 2019, 6:57 pm

I wouldn't,not with a heavy chopper like that.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Gaznazdiak » 16 Jan 2019, 7:09 pm

It's because it's so big that I'd do it that way, bigpete.
That flair at the toe of the handle that helps prevent your hand slipping off would serve the same purpose on a big butchers knife.

I've even put them on knives. I also found a way to put a coat of copper on old blades I've resurrected. A piece of copper, I used some old sheet, and put it in some hydrochloric acid. I left it until the acid was a good green, pull the copper out and drop in the blade and leave that for a few days then rinse. It put a nice matt bronze sheen.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by bigpete » 16 Jan 2019, 7:18 pm

I'd not drill holes in the wide end of the tang simply because it weakens the tang at a point of high stress for a heavy chopping instrument,same as why swords are jilted the way they are. Plus its extra work too.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by JimTom » 16 Jan 2019, 7:34 pm

Watched that Forged in Fire show a few times and once saw a bladesmith drill the handle undersized, heat up the tang, then burn it into the handle. I think he may have pinned it as well from memory although I am not certain.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Gaznazdiak » 16 Jan 2019, 7:58 pm

bigpete wrote:I'd not drill holes in the wide end of the tang simply because it weakens the tang at a point of high stress for a heavy chopping instrument,same as why swords are jilted the way they are. Plus its extra work too.


Well don't keep us guessing pete, how would you do it?
I'm always keen to learn a better way of doing something. :thumbsup:
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by bigpete » 16 Jan 2019, 8:13 pm

I've already said how I'd do it at the very start.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Gaznazdiak » 16 Jan 2019, 8:21 pm

Sorry pete, missed that. Fair call, that would be another way.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Stix » 16 Jan 2019, 8:27 pm

Although its not "big", it does hold some weight so if whats being 'swung at' is missed, it could easily seat in ones thigh... :shock: ...it does take some decent wrist strength to stop its momentum when used in the garden...you guys have obviously caught on that this aint no department store home butchers knife... :thumbsup:

So if ssy chopping through bone on a solid timber backing for example, there would be a decent amount of force imparted on the tang...hence it will need a decent, solid, & well fitting handle, whether riveted or not.

So guys, is putting a new handle on, done simply by selecting a decent piece of even grained timber & shaping it, drilling the hole for the tang & "jamming" it home...?

Jim, that technique sounds interesting...i wonder if that would have been used originally with a 'sappy' type wood where the sap would part melt & re-harden to act as a natural glue...? :unknown:

Ive obviously never done this before... :unknown:
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by bigpete » 16 Jan 2019, 8:31 pm

What I would do is get 2 pieces of decent timber,carve a channel for the tang,glue them together on the tang,shape them to suit your hand slightly undersize,wrap with twine to support the grain,then cold peen a metal plate to the butt to prevent the handle slipping off the tang. Sounds like heaps of work but it's not really. Basically how most swords are hilted.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Gwion » 17 Jan 2019, 8:31 am

Bigpete is right. You don't want to drill pins in a rat tail tang like that. Your choice of handle material will be important or it will just split again under heavy use.

A nice piece of hollow bone or antler would look good and should last well. Make a forward bolster plate and a rear cap, epoxy the tang and whole thing in place and clamp it all together with a small section of tang protruding. Then peen the tail down to created further mechanical lock between blade and handle. Might be an idea to use a torch to heat the tip of the tail to ensure it is nice and soft (annealed) for peening before fitting it all up.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Gwion » 17 Jan 2019, 8:31 am

Double post.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Daddybang » 17 Jan 2019, 8:50 am

I was gonna suggest that ya put the old handle back on then wrap f@#k out of the handle with hundred mile an hour tape...... but gaz bigpete jimtom and gwions ideas are probably better!!! :lol: :drinks:
Last edited by Daddybang on 17 Jan 2019, 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by JimTom » 17 Jan 2019, 2:20 pm

Daddybang wrote:I was gonna suggest that ya put the old handle back on then wrap f@#k out of the handle with hundred mile an hour tape...... but gaz bigpete and gwions ideas are probably better!!! :lol: :drinks:


Bwahahaha yeah but your idea is way easier mate. :lol:
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Daddybang » 17 Jan 2019, 3:21 pm

Sorry JT I missed ya out there but I've rectified it now mate!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :drinks: :drinks: :drinks:
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Ecobogan » 24 Jan 2019, 2:29 pm

Gwion wrote:Bigpete is right. You don't want to drill pins in a rat tail tang like that. Your choice of handle material will be important or it will just split again under heavy use.


You're both onto it. If peening the butt plate on is giving you grief, and you've got a mig handy, poke the tang through the butt plate and give it 3 or 4 good hot tacks. Then flap disc the welds down....just an alternative.
Also keying up the tang with some tiny grooves using a 1mm cut off disc wouldn't hurt, along with the epoxy.
Most forging I do is decorative 'wrought iron' but worked for an industrial blacksmith in Adelaide for a few years and did a bit of sword and knife resto work. This is how we used to do it.
Or one of the ways anyway
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by tom604 » 27 Jan 2019, 7:59 am

Gwion and Ecobogan have the right idea,drill it through, a bit of fiddly file work and two part epoxy and your good to go, getting it hot helps work out where you have to chip/drill to get the tang to fit, make your bolsters and sand your handle down to fit last,a bit of oil and your good to go. its quite that easy but also not that hard just go slow and steady and you want the tangs fit to be snug :thumbsup:
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Stix » 07 Feb 2019, 9:10 pm

So guys...
Ive been busy selecting & cutting some wood (from the fire wood pile :lol: ) for this handle.
But have a couple more questions...

The handle that came off it i rekon is actually bone, not timber, but its all split to buggery so im going wood.... (i will keep the bone handle that came off it--im not sure its original though).

Anyway, questions...
Will Devcon (epoxy used for bedding rifles) be a suitable "glue" for this project...(suitable for gluing wood handle to steel.? :unknown:

Also, you guys have suggested to peen the end of the tang to stop the handle sliding/aiding to lock it in place...so how do i heat the steel sufficiently enough to re-shape the steel tang & not incinerate the wood handle that will be on it...?

Sorry if thats a stupid question, but i only ever grind steel & cut wood... :unknown:

If interested, below is a vouple of pics of wood ive selected & sawn up from the firewood pile.

I tried select good bits...with some fiddleback so should look a treat if it works out... :thumbsup:
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Despite my best efforts...this stupid site apparently deems it would be better for my uploaded pics to be out of chronological order, & even when i re-do the lot again, it still thinks it knows better... :roll:
Thank god i wont be here when the govt's robots in my lounge room know better...!!!
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by bigpete » 08 Feb 2019, 5:11 am

You don't necessarily need to heat the tang to peen it sufficiently
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Gaznazdiak » 08 Feb 2019, 10:48 am

If you want your pix in order Stix, you need to use the "Place image in line" option.

Just put the cursor where you want the pic and click the button, presto.

Nice wood
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by bladeracer » 08 Feb 2019, 3:00 pm

Stix wrote:So guys...
Ive been busy selecting & cutting some wood (from the fire wood pile :lol: ) for this handle.
But have a couple more questions...

Despite my best efforts...this stupid site apparently deems it would be better for my uploaded pics to be out of chronological order, & even when i re-do the lot again, it still thinks it knows better... :roll:
Thank god i wont be here when the govt's robots in my lounge room know better...!!!


You need to add the pictures in the reverse order you want them to display.
Otherwise, you can put the cursor where you want the specific picture, then click the "Place Inline" button.
This is after you've used other software to reduce the size of your pictures to fit the 2Mb limit.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Stix » 08 Feb 2019, 4:33 pm

Yep...i do the "place in line bizo"...infact always do it...
Sometimes it makes no diff... :unknown:

It came out as you see it in a preview...
So i deleted most of it back & waalaah...same same...

Its done it before & it'll do it again...
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Gaznazdiak » 08 Feb 2019, 4:55 pm

Stix wrote:Yep...i do the "place in line bizo"...infact always do it...
Sometimes it makes no diff... :unknown:

It came out as you see it in a preview...
So i deleted most of it back & waalaah...same same...

Its done it before & it'll do it again...



:lol:
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Stix » 08 Feb 2019, 6:49 pm

So a few more questions...

How big dhould the forward bolster plate be...same size as the handle...? Or should it be bigger...?
(Im not sure if there's a traditional type look i should be aiming for... :unknown: )

With peening the end of tang-- is this just enough to help lock jandle in place like a rivet/small lip...?

Also, what material & gauge is best to use for the rear end cap...?

:drinks:
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Ecobogan » 12 Feb 2019, 9:06 pm

Progressing well mate, I think in this case the bolster plate size could be what you think looks best. I'd probably run it the same size as the handle only because I like butchers knifes to have subtle slimline handles...seems to accentuate the blade. But go full gnarly arty if you want.
About 1.6 - 3 mm would be the guage I'd use for the end cap...2mm ideally.
Stainless or mild, mild would patina better and have more personality.
If you want get flash, slightly dome the end cap with a ball pein hammer on a block of wood. Can send a demo pic if you need.
You'll want a fairly good 'fold over' where the tang exits onto the butt plate. Not hard to do but the far end of the blade will want to be supported by something pretty solid...clamped in a vice resting on the jaw slide preferably.
All this loaded with a good 2 part epoxy you should be very confident in the next zombie apocalypse.
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Stix » 12 Feb 2019, 11:07 pm

Thanks Ecobogan...!!! :thumbsup:
I like your ideas & visions...very inspiring...!!!
Ive thought about it a little, & seen pics of some knives with bigger bolster plates & think.i prefer the 'ssme size as the handle' like you suggest... :thumbsup:

Yes id love any pics you have for demonstration purposes...

When you say fairly good foldover, can you give an idea of how good...maybe in terms of size or % of diameter of handle...? (I have no idea).. :unknown:

I was thinking of some brass for the plate & cap bit now you mention it, mild steel will look better given the existing look of the blade... :thumbsup:

Cheers for now... :drinks:
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Ecobogan » 13 Feb 2019, 8:52 pm

No worries at all... I'm something of a knife fan.
By a good fold over that means a nice sharpish bend of the tang where it exits through the butt plate.
The tang would ideally be no more than about 3mm thick (as viewed from the side) at the point of bend. It can still be the normal width (as viewed from the top) and need poke out no more than 10mm through the butt plate, before folded over, 15 mm max.
The fold over business is as much to keep things neat and tidy as anything and as you suggested is there to stop the butt plate from working its way backwards off the handle so doesn't need that much of a lip or fold really.
I'll be back in the workshop tomorrow so can take some demo pics then.
Can you get your hands on a bit of 2ish mm sheet? Bases of old whitegoods are prime candidates.
Hope this is of some help and ask away if my explanations are somewhat ambiguous
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Re: Putting new handles on old knives etc...

Post by Stix » 14 Feb 2019, 6:19 am

Thanks ecobogan... :thumbsup:

Yes i should be able to get dome 2mm sheet somewhere...i may have some laying around somewhere..

Im happy to see some ssmple pics... :thumbsup:
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