I must admit, I never much liked coffin handles. I always thought they were kind of ugly.
So, I decided to make one anyway.
I am using a frame design and am at the shaping stage. So what do most people do on the sides? Flat or rounded?
Joshua States
www.dosgatosforge.com
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Also on Instagram and Facebook as J.States Bladesmith
“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.â€
I'm not really a bowie guy, but the ones I do like are well proportioned coffin handle bowies. Usually frame construction.
On the coffin handles that I've done, they were a flattened oval in cross section. A good, crisp octagon works really well too. If you make the grip too thick or round, though, it will look ugly and bloated. In my opinion, they look and feel best when the handle is somewhat thin (1/2" to 5/8") and taper distally in proportion to the profile. Oh, and it's easier to get your profile and thickness right in a rectangular cross section, and then break the corners to do either rounded or octagonal edges.
