Knife Restoration

Welcome, and thanks for checking out this knife restoration by Red Handed Blades. This Mar-Din knife belongs to a family friend. The knife was originally owned by his grandfather and has great sentimental value to his family. As you can tell by the pics, this knife was in desperate need of repair, so I took on the task. Follow along as this knife gets another cut at life. Oh, knife humor.

Step 1: Choosing Handle Material

Based on some other knives I have made in the past, the owner of this knife requested American Black Walnut for the new handle. As you can tell by the pics I had some laying around, and choose the grain structure that I liked. Grain structure is important, some like loose flowing grains, some like tight knots like burl wood. The piece i choose has a nice swirl brand at the top.

Step 2: Basic Shape

He also requested brass pins for the handle. The pin size is 5/32. If you don't have brass, I have used other material in the past... old nails, wood dowels, other things that give it character. I drilled the holes with a simple hand drill and cut the brass with a hack saw. As you can see by the pics that the handle is taking shape. I hand sanded it and gave it a palm swell. The taper design feels real nice in the hand. Choose the right shape for your comfort preference when you make yours.

Step 3: Final Fitting

I made sure the blade fit well in the handle, I also stabilized the wood. I used 2 ton epoxy to give a chemical and a mechanical bond. Its important to have a good bond, this assures years of good use. Knives are not just tools, they are memory makers. If you love food you know what I mean.

Step 4: Last Step

I hand sanded the handle with progressive grits from 220 - 1000. I oiled it one more time with boiled lin seed oil. and I sealed the handle with wood sealer. I also used the Lansky knife sharpening system, and put a 20 degree angle on the edge. If you are into knives and are serious about edge geometry, you need to get one. I packaged it and hand delivered the order to the family during a reunion. They were so happy!. If you have any questions please feel free to message me or comment, thanks for looking. REMEMBER:

Whether in kitchen or field, make sure you are caught Red Handed.

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