Rehandle materials

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mdoublestack

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Doing my first rehandle on a sabatier, however, I first wanted to put feelers out there... I know where to get scales, but Where do you guys source pins, liners, glue, etc? I'm sure I could find some stuff with a search, but I'd like to use who you fine gents use. Thanks
 
Where are you getting your scales from?

Someone mentioned chicago cutlery a few days back, so I went to my basement to hunt down my old CC chef's knife. Handles were destroyed from moisture, so I stripped the handle.
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I was thinking about getting a Micarta scales from ebay/amazon and grinding it down, but I would like to hear what you are going for. I have no experience with rehandling, but it's a beater knife so I'm willing to experiment.
 
Thanks cclin.
i had some stabilized walnut laying around for awhile. But ebay does have some good micarta and stabilized wood options
 
I have always used Jantz and North Coast Knives. Don't know why I never thought of K&G, I will check them out next time. The only drawback to Jantz is the flat shipping rates. $9.95 regardless, so you have to have a reasonable sized order to make it worth it.

3 corby rivets still get the 9.95 shipping....:nunchucks:
 
Micarta might not be the best option for your 1st rehandle. It gums up my belts. Get some budget wood scales to start.
 
Where are you getting your scales from?

Someone mentioned chicago cutlery a few days back, so I went to my basement to hunt down my old CC chef's knife. Handles were destroyed from moisture, so I stripped the handle.
3462p95.png

I was thinking about getting a Micarta scales from ebay/amazon and grinding it down, but I would like to hear what you are going for. I have no experience with rehandling, but it's a beater knife so I'm willing to experiment.

Mark at Burl Source has scales precut and will cut any block into scales as well. Myron at Dream Burls may though I have yet to inquire.
 
Micarta might not be the best option for your 1st rehandle. It gums up my belts. Get some budget wood scales to start.
Mark at Burl Source has scales precut and will cut any block into scales as well. Myron at Dream Burls may though I have yet to inquire.

You enablizers have enablized me.
Just got a pair of blackwood scales from Mark. Thanks for the suggestion gents!
 
Blackwood can feel a little bit on the waxy/oily side, but finishes quite nicely. I've never needed to finish mine with Tung oil or Tru oil either.
Let us know how your project goes. Best of luck.
 
I knew nothing about African Blackwood (or rehandling in general), so I did some research and found that folks in Africa make these intricate statues with hand chisels and knives out of the blackwood. So I decided I'll try to make the handle using only hand tools. So with the exception of using hand drill for drilling pin holes, I set about doing my first re-handle with only hand tools.
I ended up actually only using a few tools.
2 Slabs of African blackwood from burl source, 1 Mora Clipper, 1 DMT extra-coarse, some sand papers, 5min Epoxy, brass and copper pins from Jantz, yellow spacers, tung oil, and finishing wax.

Some lessons learned:
1) These blackwood (rosewood?) are really hard. Trying to use Mora to shave off pieces of wood (especially against the grain) was a struggle. I spent about 20-30 min each day, and was shaving 1mm shavings off for many many days. I had to sharpen the knife everyday, sometimes 2 times a day.
2) The blackwood powders wreak havoc on the eyes. I ended up doing most of the heavy sanding by wetting the DMT/handle slabs so that dust doesn't pick up in the air.
3) "Fit and finish" is more difficult than I had imagined. Getting that pinhole exactly right so that there isn't a gap between wood and the pins, planing the spacers/handle/tang so that there are no ugly gaps between them, etc. take skills to do properly.

Anyways, it ain't no looker, but it's one of the most comfortable handle I have used. Everyday I'd pick it up, squeeze hard with a hammer grip, then find where the focal pressure builds. Then I'll use my knife to shave off a little pieces at a time until the localized pressure points smoothed out. Turns out that if I do that, the left and right side symmetry gets broken, but it just felt more natural in the hand.

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Now I have a lot of appreciation for the beauty and functionality when I see new knives coming out from HHH or Devin.
I sit down, look at all the little details and think, how did he do that?!

Anyways thank you for all your help.
 
Mark at Burl Source has scales precut and will cut any block into scales as well. Myron at Dream Burls may though I have yet to inquire.

I don't do scales, yet, but I'm looking into expanding into that.
 
I think it turned out really good.
For a 1st handle it turned out great.
 
if you have basic wood working tools, your scale material may be in your backyard or wood pile. find a piece of maple or oak in your fire wood pile, split it, rip it and see what is there. I have done that and have found spalted maple, curly maple, and oak burl. check the curb before yard waste pickup day and I have found dogwood, pear, ash, gum, heart of pine. you end up with a handle that is one of a kind.
for pins, 18-8 or 316 stainless dowel pins work well, get these from Mcmaster/Carr or MSC Direct. you can get name brand finishes and epoxies from the big box stores, just hate giving them any business.
scott
 
welding supply stores have carbon and stainless steel pin stock that they sell as tig welding rod. If I ran out and needed some pin stock but didn't have time to wait for shipping from a knife supply shop, they are a great local option. Home depot/lowes/tractor supply also have mild steel rod and possibly aluminum.
 
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