Handle and guard material

[Gahagan]

Ok I have a customer that is wanting two daggers. One with an engraved guard and pomel with a burl handle and the other with an engraved guard and pomel and then a metal handle that is engraved as well. I am looking at different materials and trying to figure out weight as well. Ok so I m looking at 1018 steel and 6061 aluminum. What are the positives and negatives of each. I am afraid that the 1018 will be heavy and rust since it is not stainless but I am not sure how the aluminum will engrave and if it will be to soft. Please give me soem feedback.

 

[Travis Fry]

If they want a metal handle, I'd not worry about weight being an issue. I'd assume they'd expect that. I'd go 1018 for sure. We already know it can be engraved well (look at some of Bruce Bump's stuff), and you can blue it too, though probably not in conjunction with engraving. I imagine if someone is going to take all of the trouble to get a custom dagger with engraving, rust won't be an issue. I can't imagine that it will be an edc, and if taken care of shouldn't have any more trouble than a rifle (or a carbon steel blade, for that matter) staying clean.

To me, aluminum, rightly or wrongly, says "cheap." IT may be a great guard or handle material, but nobody ever uses it and there may be a reason for that. I've only ever seen one aluminum handled knife I liked, this WWII letter opener from (I think) Italy: