Making knife handles.

[gregintenn]

Good looking knives! I'm gonna have to check that store out. I didn't know there was a Woodcraft store in the Middle Tennessee area.

[Guest Bowdenknxvll]

You can also find some really nice stuff on Ebay. Ive bought some from Woodcraft but it is usually still kinda wet so you have to let it dry out. Any knife handle needs to be around 8 percent moisture or less or it will move over time and separate from the tang.

[Caster]

I finished the last one. Made a leather sheath for this one. Kydex is nice and all, but it'll never beat the feel of leather in my book.

The handles on this one do look better than the sucky pic shows [no honestly!] I used Formby's Tung oil this time. I really like this bloodwood.

[gregintenn]

Looks great, Caster!

[Guest Broomhead]

Caster, that knife is simply gorgeous! I can only hope to make one that nice.

[Ropin4gold]

Very nice work. I have to stay out of that store.....I have enough hobbies I can't afford.

[jtluttrell]

The kits at Woodcraft are currently on sale for $9.99 for any style knife. I bought one of each, this is the Hunter. I used an interesting bit of walnut I had to make the scales. I dusted them with a light coat of lacquer to see the finished color, but plan on doing a little more shaping before finishing. I'm pretty pleased with the feel, if I can find a sheath, I may carry this one around a bit. Not bad for $10.

[JAB]

I haven't made any knives, yet - but it sounds like I need to stop by the Woodcraft store and take advantage of some of those $9.99 deals, soon. I am hoping (depending on fundage) to take a pen turning class at the Knoxville store on the last Sunday of this month. I wonder if the knife kits will still be on sale, then.

I did make a cane for my mom on which I used purpleheart for the handle. All I know is that stuff is hard - much harder than the cherry I used to make myself a handle for a similar cane (unfortunately, the cherry had a weak spot and eventually broke on me - I'll be making another handle for it one of these days.)

I used linseed oil on her cane and didn't lose the purple color. I wasn't really going for a super-slick, heavily absorbed finish on it, though.

Edited April 16, 2012 by JAB

[jtluttrell]

I haven't made any knives, yet - but it sounds like I need to stop by the Woodcraft store and take advantage of some of those $9.99 deals, soon. I am hoping (depending on fundage) to take a pen turning class at the Knoxville store on the last Sunday of this month. I wonder if the knife kits will still be on sale, then.

Sale runs through 4-27, the friday before your class. They can also be bought at Woodcraft.com and Amazon.com. I'd like to try pens myself, just don't have a lathe or much lathe experience.

[JAB]

Sale runs through 4-27, the friday before your class. They can also be bought at Woodcraft.com and Amazon.com. I'd like to try pens myself, just don't have a lathe or much lathe experience.

Thanks. Based on that post, I went ahead and stopped by there yesterday. I picked up two of the knife kits that were on sale - one 'spear point' like the one in this thread and one even larger, tanto style blade. None of the wood they had in stock just 'grabbed' me so I didn't buy any for the scales. I may end up going back to get some wood but also kind of like the idea of making the handles from locally harvested wood and maybe even leaving a little bark on them here and there for both grip texture and effect. We'll see, but I decided to go ahead and buy the kits while I could get them for the sale price. I have never tried my hand at putting together a knife, before, and this seemed like a good opportunity to try my hand at it.

Edited April 19, 2012 by JAB

[Guest Bowdenknxvll]

If any of you guys want wood let me know. I have many suppliers that I get wood from that make very nice scales. I usually keep enough to do at least 50-100 knives on hand at all times so I can let some go! I have a ton of Fiddleback Curly Maple right now that I will let go and its really nice stuff. Ive been sending out large flat rate boxes recently. There is a enough wood in that size of box to do at least 10-15 knives.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Kfu Knives