Scale thickness

Wat is your favorite thickness to use? I ask because I see some real thin ones being sold mainly wood.

For folders I take them down to about
.100".

Small fixed blades are around 1/8" and larger ones are about 1/4".

Depends on a couple things for me. How thick the tang is. 1/8", I like 1/4" thick to start with. Thicker tang 3/16". Also depends how big the knife is too. Bigger knife bigger material. I adjust this a lot by "EYE" try and get proportions right. As simplistic as it sounds if it don't look right it probably isn't. I've also started to taper the handles narrower in front and thicker in the back to fit hand better. I think a lot of it is personal preference. Again the 1/4" and 3/16" are starting points for me. They both end up thinner with sanding and finishing. That said that's the coolest thing about this hobby your not doing it wrong if you decide that a 1" scale on each side is what that blade needs!!

I like to start out with about 3/8". You can always take some off but you can't add it on.

Doug

Doug Lester said:

I like to start out with about 3/8". You can always take some off but you can't add it on.

Doug

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I’m with Doug on this. 3/8 is a good around size. I’ve used 1/4” micarta and I think it’s a bit to thin even for small knives.

I think it goes both ways. For a fixed blade I usually start with 3/8". That give me room to shape and contour depending on what I am doing with the blades handle! I would have some to grind off, than to realize I don't have enough thickness to shape it like I want! Now if I do something like this Moran style handle I want to go even thicker to be able to flair that butt!

On something like a large folder 1/4" will work or thinner! On slip joint pocket knife you can get down to 1/8". There is not a lot of contouring on small folder!!

But as a general rule, I alway like to have more than I am gonna finish out to!! You can always take more off but if it is too thin when you get it fastened to the blade to contour like you want well, ............... all you can do is cuss! That don't help as my wife reminds me but, it makes me feel better!! LOL

I like 3/8 on fixed blades. Those 3/8 scales look like 2x4s before they get shaped, don’t they? As Cliff mentioned, 95% of the handle may end up 1/4 inch thick but you need that meat for the fat parts of the contour. I prefer palm swells and flared butts and 3/8 is what gets them where I want them.

John Wilson said:

Those 3/8 scales look like 2x4s before they get shaped, don’t they?

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Yep! I like thicker than thinner...it allows for in process "design changes"....at least that's what I call them...

For me 3/8 is a minimum for fixed blades. I like 7/16 or 1/2 better. I don't mind turning a lot of the scale into dust. My kitchen knives are sculpted pretty hard.

3/8 as a minimum for my fixed blades as well. I cut the initial shape on the bandsaw so it dosent matter if they are thicker and just this morning I had a set that were near 5/8 that are ready to go on.

for my kitchen knives I like the finished handle to be about 1" tall and 3/4" to 7/8" thick. so 3/8" or 1/2" scale to start. as said, easy to take off, impossible to add more