I'll share some thing Bill Moran taught me years ago. i asked him how he finished a handle on this knife we where looking at. he said he sanded it down to what ever fine grit you like then use alcohol based shellac. put on one to three coats but wipe them off very fast not to leave any on top of the wood.it dries very fast. then sand with very very fine steel wool then sand with fine sand paper.then polish with butchers wax or what ever wax you like and buff.i used this method for many years especially iron wood. iron wood will turn dark from oils especially from your hand if you do not seal it with some thing. i like the Blondie colored shellac from the Shellac Shack. if you get this method right the wood will have that wet look all time. Bill also applied orange leather dye first then let it dry steel wool-ed it then applied cordovan brown leather dye to curly maple then finished it like above. i hope this helps.

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Bill also applied orange leather dye first then let it dry steel wool-ed it then applied cordovan brown leather dye to curly maple then finished it like above. i hope this helps.

So THAT's how he got that orange-ish tint. I just love a hint of orange in a curly maple handle. Thanks Dickie!

Mark

When Dan Cassidy, webmaster for ABS, asked me to post a brief comment on the topic "Knife Handle Material-What Are Your Favorite Handle Materials", I was puzzled as to what to say as there are so many good materials. I have used almost every feasible material that could possibly be used to make a handle out of. I have used mastodon ivory, walrus tusk, exotic woods, metals, bone, leather, antler and even fossilized coral that is only found in a small area in Michigan called "Petoskey Stone". What comes to mind here is the old Shaker saying "That which has the greatest use also processes the greatest beauty". With that said, my favorite, because it is my most used, is the materials used in the "Scagle Stake up" handle.

A handle of a knife must fit the users hand without causing fatigue or hot spots, sometimes for many hours at a time. The handle must not be just for looks but must work well in many scenes such as snow and rain when dressing game, fighting, or just enjoying the out of doors. Most importantly it must keep your hand safe when slippery because you must be able to maintain the grip to do a good job. The Scagel stack up handle meets all these requirements, without pretenison, as well as being attractive.

Because Scagel was primarily making knives for the camper, fisherman and hunter he used what was easily accessable to him-Michigan Whitetail deer antler. He used all parts of an antler: the tips, crowns, forks, and slabs in many different parts of his knives. He used all kinds of metals, some from local factories, such as bronze and nickle silver for guards and pommels. For spacers he used anything he could get his hands on and some in very small pieces. He used shoe sole leather, an electrical insulation material in rust red and black (found in electrical boxes) and all kinds of metal such as copper, silver, brass and even aluminum for spacers. In Muskegon, Michigan, near where we live, there is a factory that made bowling balls, "Brunswick". He would get red and black seconds and cut them up and use it as spacer material. Have you ever tried to cut up a bowling ball? Besides being big, round, heavy and awkward all the material that can be used is the first 1/2". What a job!

In conclusion, I feel that there is really no perfect handle material and at the same time, all will work very well. However, this is where the artist in us comes into play and transforms simple materials into useable, safe, and comfortable handles that will be attractive and at the same time do a good job. Again: "Beauty in Simplicity".

Doug Noren MS