anyone had any luck making a leather washer handle for a knife :confused:

similar to the military Ka-bar knives.

I've always liked them, but am curious how you guys keep the compression on them so they dont get loose.

:)

obviously you don't want to buy a knife like them seeing as your a blacksmith and should make your own, but here a site that sells knifes like this with leather handles and you can see how it is put together
KnifeKits.com : The source for high quality knife kits

The ones i have made i soak the leaher in epoxy then assemble the the handle and most have been in use with no ill effects, just make sure it is slow or 24 hour epoxy.
Bob

Jeep, I am in the process of restoring a badly stored Marine K-Bar. These knives had two different methods to attach the butt plate. Both methods were probably mechanized. The most common way custom knife makers use is to put threads on the end of the tang, normaly by silver soldering or brazing a short length of ready-rod on. A threaded sleeve is then soldered to the back side of the but plate which can now act like a nut on a bolt. Treated leather can then be stacked on the tang and compressed by the butt plate. This also hides the tang; hence the name "hidden tang." Another method to treat the leather washers I have been told about but have not tried yet is to stabilize in a vacuum chamber with cyanoacrylate or Super Glue for short. Leather becomes as machinable as hardwood.

Guess which one I'm restoring;)

The ones i have made i soak the leaher in epoxy then assemble the the handle and most have been in use with no ill effects, just make sure it is slow or 24 hour epoxy.
Bob

this is a good idea robert. I tried one without soaking the spacers in epoxy, i just put a lot in between each spacer. A few came un-stuck, so your way sounds better :)