4-Hour Knife Works

 Three days, on and off, but really just 3-4 hours of actual work time, were all it took to turn a bare blade to the knife below.  Many of the hours in between were waiting for glue  and two coats of finish to dry, and, of course, I had other things to do, like restoring old tools (preceding blog), places to go (swim at the gym, where lockers are socially distanced at only one in adjoining five is usable and strictly only one person per lane).  

Half of our kitchen knives were from bare blades that I purchased that required selecting and fashioning the handles or "scales" from whatever wood one chooses.  

I recently purchased locally the bare knife blade below.  I have from the scrap heap, left over from previous projects, a piece of African Wenge - a very dense hardwood that has unique swirling grain patterns.

I traced the outline of the blade's tang over the 1/4 inch thick board.

It was time to use my shop-made scroll saw, which was featured in an earlier blog.  A coping saw, alternatively, will work just as well.

I cut about 1/16 of an inch outside the marked outline.

A double-sided tape temporarily attaches the scale to the tang.  This makes possible the exact location of the two holes for the metal fasteners which, in this case, have Torx screw heads. Typically as in all my other knives the pins were smooth bore steel rods.  The third hole is for the optional strap to help secure the knife to one's hand.

After drilling the two holes on one of the scales, do the other side using the same process.

Optional: A flush trim router bit makes a clean trim of excess material on the scale.

Glue up using a two-part epoxy mix and clamp. 

Final pass at the router table.  I just happen to have this power tool.  Manual trimming with a rasp is a great option.  I used it a lot more actually in the shaping of the contours of the handle.

Rasp, file and sand paper did all the final shaping.  I enjoy this part because of the hand-eye exercise one derives from  it.  And it is simply rewarding to shape the wood to one's desired results.

 

First coat of Tung oil.  Let dry for 24 hours. Followed by a second coat.

Camera flash reveals the the swirling pattern of the Wenge's grain.  In ordinary light the finish is pretty much almost charcoal gray.

The epoxy glue is all that's needed.  The Torx screw fasteners are plainly ornamental after the fact.  However, they were very useful during the glue up.  They prevented the scales from sliding or getting them out of position.

Anyone with just a power drill can do this project using hand tools.  A coping saw to cut the pattern of the scale and the rest can be accomplished with rasp/file and sandpaper,