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Thanks Brion.

Wasn't it Hay Hendrickson that said, in part, "It's the handle that sells a knife". Whether it was Jay or someone else........

Rick

D'Alton Holder said "We're in the business of selling knife handles".

Just a thought, but I like a handle to have enough "shape" that you know where the cutting edge is as quick as you pick it up. I have heard folks talk about that when talking about fighting knives. I have never done any knife fighting, and I am not planning too either!! I just think its important feature for a using knife. Next time you field dress a deer, keep up with the number of times you pick up and put down a knife. When the knife will "index" automatically, it makes the job go much smoother. And safer as well!!

Bill

Great discussion fellas !

I thought I'd ask for thoughts from those more experienced on the correlation between the height of the handle and the width

I find that a short but thick handle can be quite comfortable (but less visually appealing) and I tend to prefer a taller handle that's thinner in width.

My process always begins with a sketch as my blueprint for the knife. In transition from 2-Dimentional plan into a 3-dimentional knife I shape and contour my handle until it feels comfortable in the hand. This method tends to leave me wanting to thin the handle further for a more balanced appearance.

I've got several thought's on how to improve my own designs-

1. Very small changes to the profile of the handle might just have a profound effect on the thickness needed to achieve comfort

2. I need to man up and grind my handles a bit thinner and I'll probably realize I've increased appeal and satisfaction without giving up comfort and usefulness. (Steve, thanks for the tip on making a template handle from pine !)

I guess I'm curious if you guys have a rule of thumb for how thick the handle should be in relation to the profile size. Something like a hunter will be "X" thickness while a large chopper will be "Y"

Any input will be appreciated fellas !

Take care All- Josh

Josh-

I'm really enjoying this thread, too and can certainly relate with what you mentioned. I'm pretty new and am finding handles a bit of a struggle, particularly as to the look (flow, I suppose) as opposed to how it actually feels. Lin has said that drawing out what you want is a better way to go than trying to do it from the picture in your head, so I draw it in my notepad. I'm working on my first full tang knife and realized an interesting thing today-just because the profile looked okay on paper, didn't mean it actually felt comfortable when I got it there...

I, too would be very curious as to the methods used by those more experienced for determining height/width of handles. I've got one knife I finished a few weeks ago and the word "clunky" comes right to mind everytime I look at the handle. I'm sure some of you have done it enough that you just go with what looks right and it ends up feeling right, too. Guess I'm just a bit slow when it comes to success in this area..... <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//rolleyes.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' /> Thanks for any advice.

Jeremy

It sounds like you might be having trouble with getting the cross section refined to your taste. It's difficult to paint a picture with words about such things. I think of this: the hand can reach comfortably around a small range of circumference. This is true whether the cross section is round, square, or oval. Obviously some form of oval is most comfortable. The trick is to blend the ever changing shapes and sizes into one flowing form.

A common problem is for new makers to make the handle too thick or blocky as mentioned. I believe the inclination is to buy the material too narrow and try to make it work. Drawing it out on paper first, including the planned cross section will enable you to test the block of handle material to the drawing to see if it will work. If it's too small to cover the picture, it wont be large enough to shape into the handle you have drawn.

I have to go with Lin on this one. Unless it is a handle I have done numerous times, such as a standard fighter or hunter handle, I will always go to the drawing pad. I trace the outline of the blade, including the tang, and then try different handle shapes to see what is most appealing. I will also then draw the final design on the block of wood, or make a cardboard template, that I can line up on the handle material.

My handles had a tendency to be too round, which can cause the knife to turn in your hand. Now they are slimmer and more sculpted. More of an elongated oval. It is still an evolving process and will continue that way. There is no hard and fast rule, it just comes with experience.

One other thing is to go to shows. If you see a knife that you really like the looks of and the feel. Take notes as to why it feels good and looks good and ask the maker about it, You can learn a lot just by looking at many different knives.

Brion

Thanks for the thoughts and advice. I'm really looking forward to the Boise knife show this fall. I missed it last year and I think we'll end up with a lot of great makers again with a lot of knives for me to look at like you mentioned, Brion.

Jeremy

I thought I'd ask for thoughts from those more experienced on the correlation between the height of the handle and the width

I find myself continually thinning my handles. Along with thinning the handles, I have also started increasing the height of the handle behind the guard on some of my knives; resulting in a corresponding change to the blade’s riccasso. The thinner, taller handle shape avoids the round stick-like form in the handle.

One thing that new makers need to understand is that the shape of the handle begins with the forging and grinding of the blade. Since the top and bottom of the handle behind the guard should line up with the top and bottom of the riccasso, the final vertical dimension of the riccasso determines the vertical height of the handle. If you wind up with a vertically short riccasso, you are bound to have the handle start behind the guard in a stick-like form. This is one of the reasons that it is important to plan the knife in advance of building it and determine exactly what dimensions you are working towards. The handle design begins with the riccasso. So, your forging and grinding of the blade has to include the plan for the shaping of the handle.

I believe that sometimes a new maker is steered towards making a "clunky" handle because they attempt to utilize the handle material as it came from the supplier. Not understanding that just because the supplier sold them a block of wood that is 1" thick, doesn't mean that you should make your knife handle so thick. The blocks and slabs from the suppliers are oversize, allowing the maker to determine the best section of the material to shape their handle from. The final shape of the handle is yours to decide, not the supplier.

The "clunky knife" problem is often seen when it comes to expensive materials. We all have to be concerned with the cost of the materials that we use on our knives. But, just because you spent $300 on a set of mammoth ivory scales, doesn't mean that you should use all of that ivory in your handle. There is no economy in making an ugly knife just because you can't stand to see $80 worth of ivory dust on the floor.

So..........plan your knife in advance. Sketch out not only the side of the knife, but also a view of the top of the knife. If you are unsure of the design, grind a piece of wood to the shape of your handle design and see how it looks. When you are satisfied with your design, forge and grind the blade keeping in mind the final dimensions that the riccasso needs to be to match the handle plans.

I started collecting knives long before i made them. I feel more comfortable using a knife that has a thinner handle profile with some palm swell. I completely agree that a handle must fit the style of knife being made....A chopper handle would not fit well on a smaller hunter design. I always start with a drawing of the complete knife...Tang and all, I go from there to glued cardboard roughed in to the shape i want the handle. When i get it shaped the way i like it, i tweak the original. I then make a few copies to reference whil i am making the knife.