Bed liner for your tool handles.

[Eleven Mike]

Spray-on truck-bed liner that comes in a can, that is.

I found some old threads about using bed liner to coat gun stocks, but this thread is about knife-handles, or any other uses we can dream up.

I have a machete with a very nice handle, except that I don't like it's bright orange color. I tried some different kinds of dark green paint, but they didn't stick to the soft plastic of my Barteaux machete. I was going to buy a can of Grip Dip, but it seems folks said it doesn't stick and someone recommended bed liner.

It came out much thicker than I expected, but it actually seems to have shrunk down onto the handle. And it feels great. Looks alright, too, although I should have tried it on something else, first. I got it too thick in a couple of spots. I took a wire brush to those spots, but nothing much happened. That says something about its durability. I think I might coat the blade, too.

I also have one of the smaller Bushman knives. The older Bushmen had a rougher texture, and I was able to wrap cord around the handle. With my newer, small Bushman, the finish is very smooth, and the cord just slips around. So I think it will get a coat, too.

 

[EHCRain10]

where did you find the bedliner in a can?

 

[Eleven Mike]

Wal-Mart. My local auto parts store had a better selection, though.

 

[Dilbert]

I used some of that stuff in my wheel barrow, worked out okay, never thought of using it anywhere else. When it fully dries is it tacky at all to sweaty hands?

 

[Eleven Mike]

I don't know yet. From the feel of it, I think it will be quite grippy. If you've ever felt the surface of a bed coated with Line-X, it feels like that; only smoother, not so gritty. Any grittier would probably be too rough on the hands.

It will depend on what you use. I got whatever it is that Wal-Mart sells. But like I said, I later found a better selection at an auto parts store. And I don't recommend anyone shop at Wal-Mart, usually.