The convenience of the knife handle determines the quality of work with it and the degree of hand fatigue with prolonged use of the tool. Even if you have the most advanced blade in the world, it will be of little use without a well-fitting handle.
How to make a rider handle
The rider-type handle is suitable for a blade with a narrow shank.
1. Take a wood block of a suitable size. Shape the workpiece into a knife handle. If you don't have a jigsaw, you can do it with a hacksaw. With a sharp, thin knife, bring the shape to readiness and sand with a file or sandpaper.
2. Drill a hole in the piece of wood to the depth of the shank length. The size of the drill should be the same as the width of the narrowest point of the shank. Rebore the hole with a file if necessary. The shank should fit freely into the recess of the handle.
3. Prepare epoxy grout according to package directions. It is most convenient to dispense components with a disposable syringe. The resin can ruin the blade itself, so you can wrap it with masking tape or duct tape. Mix the epoxy solution with fine sawdust and pour it into the hole in the workpiece. Insert the shank of the knife there. Leave all of this for a day so that the glue is completely dry.
4. In order for the handle to serve for a long time, the wood must be impregnated with linseed oil. Heat the drying oil in a water bath and immerse the handle there. Leave the knife in this position for another day. Take the handle out of the linseed oil, wipe with clean cloths and leave to dry in the sun or under a quartz lamp.
How to make an overhead handle
With a wide flat blade shank, it is better to make a prefabricated overhead handle and fasten it with rivets.
1. Saw the same processed wooden workpiece as in the first variant lengthwise into two parts.
2. Prepare a small piece of metal rod (bronze, steel, copper) for making rivets. Under them in the shank you need to drill 3-4 holes. The length of the bar segments should be approximately 2 times the thickness of the handle.
3. Drill holes in each of the two handle blanks identical to the holes in the shank. You can assemble the structure by wrapping its parts tightly together with electrical tape, and drill holes for the rivets in one go.
4. Connect the two pieces and bring them to a perfect match with a file and sandpaper. Cut the metal pieces to the size of the future handle.
5. Clean the shank with detergent and a toothbrush. Wipe dry.
6. Lubricate the inner parts of the linings, shank and metal pieces with epoxy. Assemble the entire handle structure by inserting rivets.
7. Cover the handle with masking tape and rubber (an old bicycle tube will do). Wrap tightly so that all parts of the handle are firmly pressed against the shank of the knife. Leave the structure to dry for about two days.
8. Unfold the handle and remove excess resin with sandpaper. Along the way, remove, if any, roughness and splinters. Pay special attention to the metal rivets to avoid injury while using the knife.
