Handle material question

W

Wiredude

Well-Known Member
So, I'm working on my very first knife, and the shape has developed a bit different than I originally intended. I've got a small 'nub'/guard area on the bottom of the handle that I'm concerned will be very prone to chipping if I use natural wood as I had originally planned. (Probably oak or maple).
Is micarta better in these types of areas, or am I going to be better off to bite the bullet and give bolsters a try? I would like to learn bolsters, but was hoping to keep things more simple on my first go-round...
You can see the profile of my blade in my Wip thread.
Thanks in advance,
Steve
 
If what you are calling the bolster area is the same thickness top to bottom and not beveled I would leave it alone. To keep your handle simple treat the area in front of it as a sharpening notch. The extension as part of the ricaso. Make your handle scales out of G10 or micarta. That stuff is near impossible to chip.

Check out the cost of either 1075 or 1084. Not that expensive and a lot less headaches to heat treat. When starting out you need to consider how to make your job easier. Knowing that at the end of shaping your steel will be good makes the experience and life better.

If you bought the pry bar you could of bought known steel just as easily.

Good luck with the journey!
 
Thanks. I am planning to buy a slab of (probably) 1084 for future projects.
This was a kind of 'testing the water' idea, and I've learned quite a bit already.
I was kinda hoping to build this one pretty much all outa stuff I already had laying around, but I'm finding that I feel like I'm just not going to be happy if I cut a corner, just 'because I have it'.
I'm thinking I'm either going to make a slab of 'diy-carta', or maybe buy a set of G-10 scales from the boss as well as some pin stock.
 
Buy it for your first project. It will cost you less. I made my first set at a all in cost of $65. I had enough resin to make five 6x11" pieces but, it was a mess to do. Also time intensive. I only make it for special projects these days. One out of fifty micarta handles.

I really like the G10. I love using it for liners too!
 
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