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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 12-17-2012, 05:57 PM
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damonw81 damonw81 is offline
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Grain Orientation

Which grain orientation is recomended for handle scales? Annular rings can go parallel to the tang so that the pins pierce through all of them (this feels right)...or should they go perpendicular so the pins slide between them. Thanks, I just picked up some bocote square stock that I could cut either way.
Secondly on a hidden tang, would you ever turn the grain on its side so that the end grain was exposed?
As always, thanks, the guidance and encouragement is so helpful.
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Old 12-18-2012, 06:42 AM
Ed Tipton Ed Tipton is offline
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Damonw81...I have never even considered using a wooden handle in any configuration except where the grain runs with the length of the handle. I am not sure of the results with the end grain facing out from the handle, but I do know that the grain running along the length works just fine.
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Old 12-18-2012, 08:17 AM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Most wood us cut so that the grain runs parallel to the long axis of the block so I guess I've never had to think about it. However, I do have a book on making Scandinavian style knives and the author of that book did mention cutting large blocks into handle blanks so that then end grain is towards the sides for visual effect.

Doug


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Old 12-18-2012, 09:38 AM
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Eli Jensen Eli Jensen is offline
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Grain parallel with the tang first, perpendicular (side grain) second. Both are fairly common and most people don't even realize a different. I WOUDN'T do end grain as the face of the scale. It has to do with how the wood absords moisture, and how it might warp. End grain will soak up moisture like a big net, and it much more prone to chipping or cracking. Unless its stabilized in which none of all ^^^ matters
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Old 12-18-2012, 10:22 PM
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Most woods are stronger when with the grain the length of the handle. Also as Eli pointed out, water absorption can be an issue with unstabilized wood. I found the hard way on a stacked wood/stainless spacer blade (that happened to be bocote). The more end grain showing, the more it absorbs. Think of wood as a bunch of drinking straws... it draws moisture in from the ends. Also when it absorbs water the grain will swell width wise but not length wise (just like a human, we get wider, but not taller when getting fat) so that should be taken into account. With my bocote handle I ended up with gaps near the stainless spacers from the wood changing dimensions which created a loose handle.

Although some woods you can get totally different effects using end grain...for example black palm. We use it with the end grain showing but you need to account for water absorption(stabilize/seal it) and the weakness.


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Old 12-19-2012, 03:26 AM
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I guess I should have refered to my first question as whether or not it matters if the scales are quarter sawn or flat sawn. That would have been more descriptive, but you figured out what I meant.
Thanks for all the input guys, sounds like the consensus is to work to minimize the exposed endgrain of unstabalized wood.
Black Palm is the other wood I have right now, it looks amazing, I was just going to seal it with tung oil.
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Old 12-19-2012, 08:23 AM
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I may be wrong but I don't think I use black palm with end grain showing.
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Old 12-19-2012, 07:09 PM
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You can use black palm with the end grain as long as you keep in mind it is very weak (and stop moisture issues). On a 1/8" end grain piece you can literally snap it like a cracker. I've had pieces drop from waist height and break into several pieces when hitting the ground.

In our case we usually use it on full tang knives with wrapped handles. The full tang makes it so it won;t bend and the cord absorbs any impact when dropped.

Stabilizing with acrylic resin makes it a lot stronger but its still quite a bit weaker than using it with the grain going lengthwise. Like materials such as pearl, coral, stone, etc..it has its place, as long as you make sure your design accounts for the weaknesses.


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bee, blade, block, common, fixed blade, flat, full tang, handle, handle scales, hidden, knife, knives, making, palm, pins, scales, spacer, spacers, stone, tang, wood, woods


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