My brothers to make knives and has a birthday coming up. I was wondering if any of you who make small things like knife scales could offer some advice on valuable tools to do so. I see things in catalogs like finger planes and small shaping tools, or perhaps a particularly useful gouge or the perfect size and shape rasp for the task.
Thanks guys. He has the grinder for making the knives. A really nice one 2×72 with variable speed. I was thinking along the lines of some hand tools or something to help him shape the wood handles/grips he puts on the knives.
Small shaping tools or something else valuable to that task.
Brian I have a birthday coming up soon too!
I think the suggestion by John, post#1, is a real good choice.
I want to rebuild my wife's favorite knives as most of them are over 50 years old and the scales are in really bad shape.
I could definitely see some rifflers being useful for getting areas that the belt grinder can't get to. I use them when making planes for shaping and smoothing small areas or in tight places. Make sure to get good quality. I've got some by Corradi that are very good, Auriou also makes premium quality ones.
Beyond some already mentioned small files/riflers, and power sanding equipment,
what most knife handle makers could always use is unusual or cool handle materials!
Exotic antler can be expensive, and would be nice gift they might not buy otherwise.
Highly figured exotic hard woods (like watefall bubinga) are always fun to use on a knife, if you have any laying around.
If you (or your brother) prefer hand tools, I handle knives using a spokeshave, rasps / rifflers, and a Morakniv carving knife I handled myself, similar to this one I made for a friend. For a spokeshave, the Lie-Nielsen Boggs Spokeshave is what I reach for most often, but the small bronze one would probably be more useful for shaping knife scales.
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