Knife: So nearly there.

[Quixoticgeek]

I've been playing around with this knife blade (Brusletto troll knife) for several months now. I started the handle using a piece of grey willow. It was a snug fit, but there was a small gap round round the handle and I was worried about liquid getting in there if I wash the knife. So, having slowly collected pine resin every time I go for a walk near pine trees. The plan was simple, melt the pine resin, inject it into the cavity while it's still liquid, stick the tang in the handle, await the resin to cool. Relax.

That was the theory.

The actual reality was that the injection of the liquid resin didn't work, it just cooled far far far to fast. Then when I put the handle in and gave it a gentle tap on with a mallet, the handle split. I tried making it up a little with the pine resin. But it's not quite right. Am rather miffed, after all this work, it goes and splits on the final stage.

Not sure what to do next. I can use the blade as is, just don't want to submerge it in water.

The big positive that Is coming from this is that I am reaching a conclusion on the shape of handle and length of blade that I like most, ready to commission my dream knife.

Onward.

Julia

 

[Angst]

hi...maybe try epoxy resin....?

s

 

[crosslandkelly]

Pics! we need pics.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Phone picture, so not great quality but:

The split is so infuriating. So near, yet so far.

This is the 3rd time I've tried to handle a knife only for the wood to split along the way...

J

 

[crosslandkelly]

How about using a ferrule to prevent more splitting.

 

[Angst]

....or make the hole big enough...gotta admit i'm a bit confused...maybe i'm missing something?

regards

s

 

[Quixoticgeek]

The hole was big enough. It's just that when putting the tang back in with the resin, it went and split. Will dig out another bit of wood from the pile and have another go...

J

 

[Fraxinus]

Just a suggestion but how about just smearing some warm resin around the last part of the tang just before the blade starts then pushing the handle on the rest of the way.
This should give you enough time before it sets up and provide a watertight seal, after all you are not glueing the tang into the handle but relying on a friction fit.

Rob.

 

[spandit]

Grey willow does split extremely easily - you might be better off using another wood?

 

[brancho]

I this was an emergency repair this would be ok but willow in round is not the best way to make knife handle.
I have made knife handles from wood in the round, it was well seasoned bit still suffered splits and cracks.
It was not ideal it worked but was what was asked for.



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[British Red]

Julia,

Pine resin alone is an awful glue and not much better filler - any form of movement will break it. You can though make "cutlers resin" from pine resin, which is much better (it contains bonding substrates). I would also add a little beeswax to make the glue less brittle.

I have no insights into knife making - but do know something about natural glues

 

[tom.moran]

once you have made a suitable filler/glue, why not heat the tang afford insertion to avoid cooling?

 

[Paulm]

Best not to use branch wood "in the round" as mentioned before. This is because the branch will be prone to shrinking in the circumference as it drys out, causing splits. You get the same thing with larger logs and trunks too. It's usual to split logs lengthwise down the pith to leave the two halves able to distort and move as they dry out with less cracking likely.

Best to use a piece of timber split or sawn from a larger branch or log and then shape it with a knife, rasps, sandpaper etc, more work but hopefully less likely to split afterwards.

You can also create hydraulic pressure when pushing the tang into a blind hole with resin or adhesive. If the air in the hole, or the adhesive, cannot escape as the tang is pushed in it will compress instead and then finally split the handle apart. Easing the tang gently in and out a bit at a time to spread the adhesive down into the hole gradually and allow the air to escape usually works. Likewise make the hole a little longer than the tang itself to help avoid the problem.

Hope that helps, it's very satisfying when it does work !

Cheers, Paul

 

[eddieb]

Something I think I saw ray mears do when I was little was to get hold of some fresh wet kelp stalk and cut it to length then jam the tang down the core and let it dry out and job done quick tight handle, just getting the kelp part..

 

[eddieb]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/29336746/r2-knapped-obsidian-knife-w-kelp-handle
This is the only example of what it would look like I could find

 

[brancho]

Julia
What is your aim with this knife?
Are you after a long term user or just a project to make a handle with traditional materials and glues?


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[Quixoticgeek]

I am a medieval reenactor, the aim for this knife was to make something that would pass authenticity checks for use in the 12th Century. Hence using traditional materials as much as possible.

J

 

[tom.moran]

make your glue from charcoal and resin and heat the tang before inserting it. should hold ok

 

[Toddy]

Sorry, cross posted with Tom. He's right about the glue


I have branches from a wild cherry tree lying about. If a bit of that would help, let me know ?
Native as can be, and fruit wood is spot on for this kind of thing.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[brancho]

I am a medieval reenactor, the aim for this knife was to make something that would pass authenticity checks for use in the 12th Century. Hence using traditional materials as much as possible.

J

It would be interesting to see what you are aiming for.


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