mila_harris•5d agoProlific Poster

Just hit 5000 knife handles and noticed something worrying

I've been forging blades for about 8 years and last week I finished my 5000th handle. That number surprised me because I never thought I'd get that far. But what really got my attention was that my last 50 handles all had the same tiny crack near the tang. I think I've been rushing the drying process on my scales. Has anyone else seen a pattern like this after hitting a big number?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_nathan5d ago

Honestly, have you been using the same wood supplier for all those recent handles? Sometimes a bad batch of scales can hide stress cracks until they're glued up and shaped, and it takes a while to notice the pattern. I had a run of 20 handles a few years back where every single one split the same way near the tang, and it turned out the wood was just too green. You might want to check if your drying time or your epoxy is actually the problem, or if the wood itself is the culprit.

garcia.tyler4d ago

Man, I feel for you. That's a rough spot to be in. I had a similar thing happen with some walnut scales a couple years back, looked perfect until I put the final coat on and boom, a hairline crack right where the tang sits. It's so frustrating when you put all that work in and the material just betrays you. Have you tried checking the moisture content with a meter before you even start shaping?