Let's design a handle.

[Mk-211]

Anyway, I found a couple cold steel SRK blanks for sale and decided to buy them.

I've had good luck with factory knife blanks in the past and the knives have come out great.

So, what the heck, here's a couple full size renderings. I was thinking of doing 2 with brass and stacked leather. The middle one I was thinking of stainless and carbon fiber.

Take a look and offer up any ideas or changes, as I have 3 to play with.

 

[Armored farmer]

I always wanted a corn cob grip for a revolver.
Maybe you could take that idea and run with it.

 

[Mk-211]

LOL, gonna have to go with no on that. As much as I like corn, dont want it for a handle.

 

[sgt127]

I freaking love this handle shape. Well, the knife too.

 

[JShirley]

I wouldn't use the guard on the right, if you want to be able to slice with the knife. You might consider a choil underneath a minimal guard for both security and usability.

John

 

[WestKentucky]

I like the revolver grip idea. The 1911 grips have been done to death, but it would be pretty neat to chop up a busted Glock frame or some other pistol that you may own and/or like and put it all together.

 

[Mk-211]

I like the stacked leather look, was thinking of putting brass spacers in between so many pieces.

Anyone know what would be the best to seal the leather with or leave it bare?

 

[Blkhrt13]

A good stag grip is always functional and pretty.

 

[C0untZer0]

I forgot who said it, it may have been Ethan Becker, (I can't find the quote), but he said the handles on many of today's knives are over-engineered. He referenced the Kephart knife, which is very versatile, has tremendous utility and has, for the most part, a fairly simple handle.

 

[AK Hunter]

I don't mean to be cheap but if you could find some black or dark brown plastic you could stipple the H*** out of it to have a good grip like they do the Glock pistols.

 

[CapnMac]

I've owned an SRK for many a year, and though about its grip.

The stock grip has a nicely positive finger stop on the guard, but leaves a person wanting a good place to rest their thumb. Which suggests something of an "S" shaped guard. As John points out, the stock design is unsuited for chopping on a board.

I like the idea of stacked leather, particularly as the end cap would give a person something the stock design does not--a striking point (like a glass breaker, something a "rescue" knife probably ought to have).

The blade shape wants a very elliptical shaped grip aligned to the blade, with a palm swell to improve upon that.

The material almost does not matter. Micarta with contrasting guard and end cap would be practical and pretty. Or a stable core of some sort and braided cord wrap to improve the grip.

 

[hso]

While I like the idea of guards, you don't need a prominent guard. Look at the above handles from RMK. They both have palm swells that allow for the index finger to rest in something of a choil. Having that index finger have a positive stop to keep the hand from moving forward onto the blade doesn't require a large guard if you incorporate that choil at the interface between handle and guard. Just enough guard to make the "speed bump". The cross section should be oval or oval flattened on top. Stack leather washers are available if you don't want to make your own. A guard would give you something to compress them against and a butt cap would allow you to compress them and hold them after pinning. Since you have a lanyard hole available I'd consider keeping it available instead of covering it, but if you don't want the lanyard hole simply use it to pin an aluminum butt cap in place. With a palm swell you can minimize guard and butt cap.

OTOH, you could avoid having a guard if you used a handle material that allowed you to put the equivalent in place. G-10 (nasty to work), the various grivory materials, even micarta would allow you to shape the handle to have a palm swell with a slight "beak" where you'd piece a guard.


All that said, I recommend getting some modeling clay and forming it around the tang in a cylinder and then holding the knife in different use positions and see what sort of impression that makes. Let the shape be your guide.

 

[Mk-211]

Thanks HSO, two more designs that look good with the design of the blade. That and a couple other ideas for setting up the scales.

I'm going to have to make up my mind soon, going to ship them off to my knife guy to make the pieces for me.

 

[JShirley]

hso, thanks for explaining what I meant in more detail.

John