Try getting a bunch of washers stabalized. They work great and glue great as well. Then when you polish them off there is no comparison to the finish you get. The guy that makes my sheaths has a lot of scrap leather and I go over and punch out washers whenever I want them. He had a large rolls of old leather belting used in some type of industrial application and I made washers out of it. They are 1/2 inch thick and soaked the stabalizer up like a sponge. Worked great with a lot of different shades of brown to them.
Anyway you use it, it will make a great handle for certain types of knives.