Leather Handles - what kind of 'glue' do I use??

M

maddog2020

Joined
May 25, 1999
Messages
973
Hi folks, I am sure this had been asked, but what kind of adhesive is best for glueing up leather washers in a stack like on the old style knives??

Someone is sending me some and I was thinking of using it on a Khukuri handle (yeah....don't laugh....really).

For forming/contouring is a course belt sander my best bet, or a course file? What is good for sealing the edges? LOL
smile.gif


TIA,

Ray 'md2020'
 
By far the best leather cement is Barges.
You can usually find it at shoe repair or saddle shops. "The Leather Factory" outlets
also have it Walmart might even have it.
It always comes in a yellow and red container
no matter what the size. I've used everything under the sun and it always comes
out on top. As far as grinding use a verry
corse belt on the leather to shape then something in the 100 grit to semi finish. I
then use 220 to finish by hand. Lexol for
a sealer and conditioner works good for the
handles I put on.

goshawk

------------------
http://www.imt.net/~goshawk
Don't walk in tradition just because it feels good!!!!!
Romans 10:9,10
Psalm 91


 
I have found that epoxy works best for me. Let the leather pieces dry really well in an oven and then glue them on the tang with epoxy 24 hour set. Compres them as you stack the handle. You can use plain wax or shoepolish after grinding. If you use a very worn belt the edges get burned a litle and that really looks great.

------------------
Jens Anso, ansoknives@hotmail.com
(check out my homepage)
home6.inet.tele.dk/ansoe/ansoknives

 
Not that I recommend it, but I've taken apart a lot of old 'military' knives with stacked leather handles that didn't use any glue. They had tight fitting square or rectangular tangs that kept the washers from rotating and large plates at the cross guard and pommel ends. The end plates kept the washers under compression.

What I liked to do was to reprofile the handle using a sanding disk on an electric drill, then pull apart the stack and take out every-other washer, stack them and sand them down 1/16th inch smaller, then reassemble all the washers in their original places. The slight high-low on the washers gave me a better grip. I never used glue. For other applications I've used clear epoxy on leather very succesfully.
 
The problem that I've run into with epoxy on
leather is that it isn't flexable and the
leather is it will crack. The leather handle
was designed to be used without glue and a
high humid environment. that way the handle
stays swelled and tight, but if it dries out
it becomes loose if not sealed somehow even with a rectangular tang. They were also designe to be tightened with a screw in the
butt cap..

------------------
http://www.imt.net/~goshawk
Don't walk in tradition just because it feels good!!!!!
Romans 10:9,10
Psalm 91


 
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