Got blade, need handle

[Rob DiStefano]

Got a buncha short 2-3/4" Helle blades hangin around, all naked lookin, so time to stick a handle on one and make a patch knife.  This one is their #50B Fjording, triple carbon steel (not stainless).



Part of an elk tine for the main part of the handle, then a thin spacer of oak, and a butt cap of hard paduak.  For now, the blade's tang is just press fitted into a 1/4" hole drilled through the bone.  It'll get notched with a dremel carbide wheel to all for more purchase when slow set epoxied into the bone hole.  Most of that hardwood will get sanded off and rounded, don't want it to be too big.  Since the back end of the blade is arced top and bottom, I think I'll just taper the bone rather than add a finger guard, for a more slim look and easy in/out of the leather sheath that's yet to be made.

More to come.  

[Rob DiStefano]

some time with the bandsaw and sander, whittled the handle down to best fit a hand.  

the tang has been serrated with a dremel wheel prior to gluing ...


and now the slow set epoxy is curing ...

[Roaddog]

I like the way you did the handle.That will be a dandy pach knife.

[Rob DiStefano]

I like the way you did the handle.That will be a dandy pach knife.  

[Rob DiStefano]

epoxy cured, clear coated.  nothing special, but serviceable, i think.  time to make a sheath.

[Riley/MN]

[Rob DiStefano]

sheath done up quick 'n' dirty ...

[Rob DiStefano]

Another helle blank, this time a #55B Nyling, triple lam with a center of stainless and carbon outside.  Got an elk tine that should work out.

Tang and tine cut to length, tang notched for epoxy ...


Drilled the 1/4" tan hole, marked and sanded the bone end ...


All done, including the sheath ...

[Roaddog]

You sure work fast.I best get busi.O'l RFD sent two of those nice blades to me and are they sharp.

[gunmaker]

Nice work, always good to have your own stuff.  I mite say,  Add a gusset between the two folds so sharp blade won't poke thru....Tom

[Rob DiStefano]

yes, i hear ya, gm.  factory helle sheaths have a "V" rib covering the stitched area.  in the past i used to add a rib of leather sandwiched 'tween the flaps before stitching.  just didn't see the need now in the way each sheath wedge-holds the handle, the blade stays far enuf away from the stitched flaps.  but, i also wicked in quality water thin cya to the leather edges and the stiching, which in turn glues those flaps solid all around the stitching.  

omigosh!  such crude handles, and how so not 18th century!  am i still allowed to post here???       yeah, they're just working patch knives and obviously aren't meant to be pc-hc works of art.  sorry to have offended some folks.  

here's the patch knife i assembled with my red oak handle and a tiny 2-1/4" helle ola-kniven blade, i stiched the little sheath together and then tied it top and bottom on my possibles bag strap.  you can see the where the cya darkened the sheath's stitched edge and synthetic sinew - it's all quite solid.  

[Rob DiStefano]

and yet another, this time a helle polar blade, with some antler off a texas whitetail that i arrowed with my longbow 2 years ago.





one more blade to handle, one more sheath to make.  

there are lotsa good ways to protect the stitching and i'll show one with the upcoming sheath.

[gunmaker]

Helle of a nice knife........

[Two Steps]

Helle of a nice knife..

   

[Rob DiStefano]

last one (for me, yay!).  a helle triple carbon hefty 4-3/8" viking blade.  got a billet of this nice hard wood from a friend, dunno what species but it's nearly as dense as a rock and took hours instead of minutes to cut, rasp and sand.  the sheath was made without a welt strip, but after it was stitched, each of the stitch holes was opened with a filed sharp nail,  a strip of blue 3m painter's tape applied to the back side of the sheath and over the stitch holes, then a drop of quality slow set epoxy filled each hole.