Is there a such thing as a..

[Kevster]

Perfect size handle for a knife? My self I have huge hands and tend to make my knives like that, if I make a small knife it just doesn't feel right.

I'm making a boning knife right now with a 4 1/2 handle and its hard for me to do because I just can't get a feel for it.

Anyone else suffer from this?

[Ray Rogers]

Most knife handles are 4 - 5" long and diameters and shapes vary greatly. We all have trouble making knives for hands differently sized than our own. Generally, my advice would be to make handles that feel right to you - you're not the only guy with big hands. After some practice, you may find it possible to make slightly smaller handles that still feel acceptable to you but would appeal to people with smaller hands too.

In your case, it may be the diameter of the handle that doesn't feel right to you. You have probably been using knives with 4.5" handles all your life and you got by. If you increase the diameter and then give the handle some shape (I like Coke bottle) you might find that it fits you pretty well and that smaller hands may also be able to use it comfortably ...

[Doug Lester]

I have some big paws too and I made a couple of knives with smallish handles and they are almost uncontrollable. Especially a big chopper that I made to clean out brush with. They might have worked with the same outline if I had made the handles thicker, with the exception of the chopper. It needs a thicker and wider handle handle. If I remake one this spring I may look into stall matting.

Doug

[Crex]

Just the opposite for me. Got small hands, always used small handled knives and pocket knives, etc.
It was hard for me to learn to make them larger, but I did and do. Customer has to like the feel.