MadDog's Custom Handled GH WW

Mad Dog: why don't you contact camilus (or whoever else makes leather handled knives) and ask them how they do it. I'm sure they have a machine for some tasks, but I'm sure whatever glue they use would be good for you.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
One trick to use on stacked leather handles in very humid climates if you can't get Sno-seal is to warm parafin wax until liquid, and let the handle sop it up, wipe, and leave in sun til it finishes absorption.
 
Blackdog,

The washers came in - thanks fellow DOG
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. I will box up some Pig Putty for you and send it out....wonderful stuff. Just remember to wear gloves when you work with it.

The weather folks predict rain for the weekend here, so I may start working on the handle. "Dog House Special" - good name
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Ray 'md2020'
 
I like your new handle too MadDog. Nice work. I have a kuk that I would like to try to repair the handle on and it has a butt cap and tang arrangement that looks the same as the one in your pictures even though I didn't buy it from either of the kuk dealers here, but in Hong Kong from a guy on the street. I was wondering if you could tell me any ways to get the cap off. It looks like the tang was mushroomed over to hold it on and I don't want to file it off if I don't have too. I saw the ideas posted earlier by someone (file it or pliers) any other ideas? thanxs
 
shiroikuma,

I think I had mentioned trying to squeeze the peened/mushroomed end back into a smaller shape so you can take the end caps off with a pair of Visegrips. Filing it off will will also work - use two layes of masking tape around the area you want to protect, and take long smooth strokes.

If the tang is too short when you re-assemble it, you can always try to shorten the handle by about 1/8", or 3mm, or you an built the length back up with some adding some weld to the end.

I have to take another one apart this weekend to either make a new handle, or try injecting come glue somewhere - handle is loose and am not sure of the exact cause. I will be faced with the same problem - I will let you know what worked for me.
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Ray 'md2020'
 
Thanks MadDog! I have to fix a loose handle too, mine is made of some type of whitish bone and is cracking badly too. I am going to try to add some epoxy if I can figure out how to get it into the cracks (which haven't compleatly come apart yet) to reinforce it. I already had to releather the sheath. The new one looks much better but isn't too tradional. Let us know how it works out
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Shiroikuma: that's a common problem with bone. I've tried to get Lalit to send me some bone-handled ones because I think they'd be pretty, and he flatly refuses!


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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig,

It's a little off topic but the feature for Ghurka House on the Knife Outlet home page is at the prime upper left location. You'll now have literally 1000's of people seeing it each week. Hope you like it.

For a limited time, customers who order a Service #1 from Knife Outlet will receive a free tube of Flitz metal polish to help keep the knife looking good. Take care.

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Fred
Knife Outlet
www.knifeoutlet.com

 
Fred: Thanks for the support! And I hope that while your special lasts, people order the SN1 from you instead of from our site
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Shiro - if you have the handle off where you can use hammer and anvil, since most rattail tangs are soft they can be stretched back to original length hammmering the tang narrower ( and longer ).
 
Mad Dog: that glue you sent me really works! I used it on a home project, and wow - it is like cement. Where can you buy it?



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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig,

I told ya the stuff was GREAT - it is like cement when dry
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. We use if for everything!

LOL....you are cracking me up - Their phone number is in the tube - the white wrapper
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.

Ray 'md2020'
 
Mad Dog: okay, so I'm a bit slow. Can I help it? No (at least, not according to Marya). For example, I just showed up for a meeting exactly 24 hours early (it is tomorrow)
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig,

LOL..Better early than never
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- it must be an important meeting: nervrous? . I suffer from CRS (Can't Remeber Sh$t) - that is what my wife claims.....lol. You know I am just ribbing ya....I had to pick up a tube to look myself
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.

The stuff stinks if you have to grind it - fumes are nuisance odor only, not toxic: we had looked into that outselves.

Ray 'md2020'
 
Hey Craig,

Things like that happen to me once in a while. A few months ago I came in pretty late. I parked the car in front of the house then walked around to make sure the trunk and all the doors were locked. Can't be too careful in South Florida. Cars are stolen around here all the time.

Next morning I came out to find the car still there, the doors still locked, but both of the front windows were down. I felt more than a little foolish and couldn't even blame it on alcohol. So, I wrote it off as just another "senior moment".

Blackdog

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When the world is at peace, a gentleman keeps his sword by his side.......
Sun-Tzu 400 BC

 
Craig & Blackdog,

I managed to get the horn handle off the SN1. I filed the mushroomed peen off and then popped the small endcap off revieling about 3/16" of the rear tang. I proceeded to whack at it with a dead blow hammer, big block or hardwood....anything I could pick up an swing that wasn't going to mushroon the steel end. The handle was twisting, but not budging. I started to scrape at the black glue along the rear cap, and the front cap, removing as much as I could reach.

Someone here said to boil the handle in water, which I did (thanks who ever it was!), and the handle twisted off easily. I boiled one said and then flipped it over to boil the otherside for about 3 minutes each side. Whatever the glue is (hide/horn?) it stinks when you boil it! LOL
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. The glue was like taffy when heated, but cooled quickly. The dried glue stuck to the pot real BAD...I had to scrub and scrape it off. Somewhat brittle in some ways - the boiling could have changed its physical state. Here is a hint - don't use a good pot!
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The big question is - what do I want to use as a handle material??? Pig Putty the horn back on? Leather stacked handle? Cherry wood like my WW? Perhaps WHITE micarta (just to tease Craig here...lol). I still have to clean the black gloop (?) out of everything.

Well, just a quick update...slowly working towards a 'new' handle
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Ray 'md2020'
 
Maddog,

I would vote for the leather except that it's going to involve a whole new set of difficulties.
  • I would think that the leather washers would have to be compressed. That would probably require lengthening the tang, threading it and finding a suitable nut/butt-cap combination.
  • The washers would also have to be glued to keep them somewhat aligned.
  • The compressed washers would then need to be ground or sanded to make them all even, then fininshed with some type of sealant or resin.

It would be a chore, but I think would make one beautiful Khukuri. Mmmmm, leather. My second choice would be a dark, deep grained wood along the lines of bird's-eye Maple. Hey I can dream can't I?

Whatever you choose Maddog, if it comes out as nice as the cherry handle it'll be a beauty.

Blackdog

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When the world is at peace, a gentleman keeps his sword by his side.......
Sun-Tzu 400 BC

 
Mad Dog: Please, please, please white micarta. And then you can sell it back to me
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FYI: the glue is called laha, and it is made in part from tree bark.

So, do you get the idea that I want white micarta? White micarta. That's m-i-c-a-r-t-a.



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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
I have been trying to locate some thick, and long enough piece of white micarta, but so far I have had no luck. I will continue to look for it.

I had some time after dinner while my family was outside to make some noise in the basement. I grabbed another piece of cherry, and started to make shape another handle. This is in case I can't find the correct micarta, or find a good means of compressing the leather washers whick Blackdog sent me.

I have the horn handle to use as reference for my 2nd handle. Some curves are being added, and I am keeping it thicker in most of the cross sections.

Craig, do you happen to have any more handless Khukuri's around, or any loose handled one?? Though I would ask
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Ray 'md2020'

 
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