making metal handles

[neil1967]

Hello Everyone,

I'm hoping someone might be able to point in the direction of some good general information on how to get started making metal knife handles. Obviously, a tutorial would be ideal, but any info that would help me get started would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Neil

[Ray Rogers]

Your question may be too general, Neil. Metal isn't the first material that comes to mind for good knife handles to most knifemakers. Are you talking about folder handles like the solid titanium models? Or maybe you want to know how to mold a handle onto a tang like the aluminum handles that are found on some fixed blades?

Try to narrow it down for us a bit and I bet you'll get lots of help...

[neil1967]

Whoops! Sorry about not giving enough info.

Yes, I'm interested in molding metal to a tang, fixed blade style. I've seen some antique weapons (perhaps Persian?) where the handle is brass, has designs either engraved or chiseled and then somehow the handle is attached to the tang and I was wondering how one would do that.

Thanks!

Neil

[Ray Rogers]

That's definitely not my area of expertise but maybe I can get you started.

I've seen cast handles done in two ways. In one example, Ive seen a brass or pewter handle cast in a mold, then drilled and tapped and screwed onto a threaded tang. This seems to be a fairly common construction for some of the older F-S daggers.

The other way is to liquify the casting metal, usually in a mold, and then set the knife tang into the mold while the metal is still molten. I've seen this done with aluminum handles.

The big trick is the mold, of course. I believe the primary methods are called sand casting and lost wax casting. I'd recommend a searh of the internet for these two terms. Also, check Amazon and the major knife supply house catalogs for books on these subjects. Lost wax casting is oftem used by jewelers to make small parts, so books on jewelry making might also be useful.

Finally, I think we have a forum for the 'primitive' style knife makers around here somewhere, maybe the Neo-Tribal group. Maybe someone there is doing some of this type of thing....

[wrathlord]

Sandcasting is what you have seen.Or atleast that was the process that made the handle.Itr is done by making a mold of sand in the shape of the part,then molten metal(bronze,brass,etc.)is poured into the mold forming the part.Some guys still make trench knife handles that way today.

[Will]

not shure if this is what your looking for, but some of the old dress bowies had metal handles.

They were for the most part silver sheet formed and soldered together and filled with pine resine. A lot lighter than solid metal. Some even had reverse engraveing, stamping from the backside.