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Post by Black Hand on May 11, 2019 5:34:53 GMT -7
The gap is the size of the tang. That said, I've never left a gap since my handles are custom. I'd be more concerned if the gap were at the top of the handle, since pressure would be greater when pushing.
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lrb
City-dweller
Posts: 27
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Post by lrb on May 11, 2019 13:00:05 GMT -7
I agree. Underneath may even give a better grip at certain times. Until more is known for sure, it would not hurt to fill the groove with an epoxy brick dust mix. Years back, for a short time I filled them with a brick dust and pine resin mix, and maybe a slight bit of beeswax, but I never trusted it to stay forever.
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Post by Black Hand on May 11, 2019 13:07:32 GMT -7
I use a recipe I found for Cutler's resin - a mix of rosin, fine charcoal and beeswax. It stays put, doesn't get soft and keeps gunk/moisture out of the slot. The resin in these knives is at least 10 years old.
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Post by Black Hand on May 11, 2019 15:10:04 GMT -7
Cutler's Resin: 5 parts Pitch (I use rosin processed from raw pitch) 1 part Beeswax 1 part finely-ground Charcoal The consistency is like a hard plastic, but isn't brittle like pure pitch can be when melted and used for glue. To use, warm the resin and the tang, smear a coating on the tang, warm and push the blade into the slot. The excess that squeezes out can be easily removed with a fingernail while still warm.
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Post by Black Hand on May 13, 2019 15:02:41 GMT -7
Scalper with diamond-shaped handle (made 2 for friends who portray Fur Trade) - used cutler's resin in the tang slot:
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Post by brokennock on May 13, 2019 19:47:28 GMT -7
Nice. I thought about the diamond shape, got lazy.
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Post by Black Hand on May 14, 2019 4:54:47 GMT -7
My secret weapon - a jack plane.
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lrb
City-dweller
Posts: 27
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Post by lrb on May 16, 2019 5:40:49 GMT -7
I came across this one going through my pics. You can easily see the Beechwood, I think, grip extending into the blade, and the tapered tang. Also note pin/rivet size, and also how low the grip drops over the tang. This one apparently did not have the pin holes drilled low of center as was most common, but close it would seem. Note also the GR stamp, but that does not pin the date since George III was king until 1820
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Post by Black Hand on May 16, 2019 6:24:39 GMT -7
Very nice! Much to be learned from that item.
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990
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Post by Keith on May 16, 2019 14:16:06 GMT -7
I came across this one going through my pics. You can easily see the Beechwood, I think, grip extending into the blade, and the tapered tang. Also note pin/rivet size, and also how low the grip drops over the tang. This one apparently did not have the pin holes drilled low of center as was most common, but close it would seem. Note also the GR stamp, but that does not pin the date since George III was king until 1820 Good looking blade Irb, thanks for sharing. Keith.
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Post by brokennock on May 16, 2019 21:34:29 GMT -7
Thanks Lrb, that's really cool.
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Post by brokennock on May 23, 2019 15:19:11 GMT -7
Other than final sharpening, I'm calling this project done. Didn't turn out exactly as I hoped, but, thanks to the input here, when I do this knife's (former) twin's handle, it will come out better. Finished with a couple coats of b.l.o. which was allowed to soak in/dry a few days between application. The wood was warmed with a heat gun before the 1st application was rubbed in by hand. After the second coat was given a few days to sit, I warmed the wood again and rubbed on some beeswax. Once that had hardened I buffed it and rubbed on more, warmed it, let it dry, then buffed again. Made the sheath next, once that was wet molded and dry, I polished that black "antiqueing" (or whatever that is supposed to be) off the blade.
Now IF I can only get this one as sharp as the other one. The other one has a nice hair popping razor edge. This one just does not seem to want to get as sharp. (That's why I started the rehandle project with this one, If I completely ruined it, well, it ain't the good razor sharp one that got wrecked.)
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ewoaf
City-dweller
Posts: 203
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Post by ewoaf on Feb 13, 2020 12:18:21 GMT -7
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Post by artificer on Feb 14, 2020 12:19:04 GMT -7
Must admit I have wondered about the common woods used on English Trade Knives. Beech was a perfect wood as it was cheap and easy to get from England and was good for knifemaking. Boxwood was also fairly cheap, but it was a tougher wood and had already begun to be used in parts of period planes that wore more than other parts, as well as wood rules and similar uses. Trade knives were sold in huge quantities and keeping the costs down by using less expensive woods was important.
I thought the "Red" handles were painted because Beech and Boxwood are often rather plain looking and the red paint made them more attractive to Native American Customers?
Gus
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Post by paranger on Feb 14, 2020 12:56:23 GMT -7
Must admit I have wondered about the common woods used on English Trade Knives. Beech was a perfect wood as it was cheap and easy to get from England and was good for knifemaking. Boxwood was also fairly cheap, but it was a tougher wood and had already begun to be used in parts of period planes that wore more than other parts, as well as wood rules and similar uses. Trade knives were sold in huge quantities and keeping the costs down by using less expensive woods was important. I thought the "Red" handles were painted because Beech and Boxwood are often rather plain looking and the red paint made them more attractive to Native American Customers? Gus Actually, tropical woods (like cocobolo) were frequently used, giving the "red" coloring referenced. Ken Hamilton is a great source on this and many 17-18th c. cutlery topics.
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