Looking for advice on optimizing grip for a hunting knife

RickA

RickA

Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone

After my recent success with my competition Bowie - I have been asked by my colleagues to make a custom hunting knife for our (very good) boss, a bow hunter - who is leaving the company due to restructuring.

I am currently working out the design, based on a couple of nice hunting knife templates I have - I'm thinking of taking the standard hunting knife template and deepening the blade belly a little so it can function as a hunter / skinner.

I will probably be going with Bohler N690 or M390(If I can get some) for the blade, with 316 stainless bolsters, fiber liners and some nice Arizona Desert Ironwood for the handle scales. My question has to do with the scales - I have very limited hunting experience however I have several friends who are hunters and have heard all of them say that standard (high quality) hardwood scales - tend to get quite slippery when gutting / skinning and animal due to the blood.

I have thought about making two sets of interchangeable scales - one in ironwood for "display" with a canvas micarta set grooved / roughened for hunting use, but I dont like the idea of having screws for the handle mounting (on a fixed blade) also - not sure how practical it is, despite it being fairly common with folders.

I have seen a number of knives with artificial handle scales - grooved / roughened / patterns cut into the surface etc - but none with top class hardwood which has been similarly roughened up.

What would be the best way to have presentation grade hardwood (Desert Ironwood) scales - but with good grip for use in hunting / skinning situations? I dont want to buy a presentation grade set of ironwood scales and then mess them up. I need to get some ideas and try them on some cheaper scales / wood beforehand.

Any ideas??
 
i'm a hardcore hunter I shoot 3-6 deer a year plus an elk or 2 and lot's of pheasants, grouse, geese, ducks and turkeys, I use wood handles almost exclusively on my knives, most of my hunting buddies carry my knives and they usually shoot more stuff than I do every year and I have specifically asked them if they have ever had any grip problems and they all said they've never had a problem, I always were latex gloves while dressing out game to help keep the mess down so I believe that adds a bit of grip as well.
 
I too am an avid hunter but dont care for wood handles on my personal users but I did frost a conversion varnish (fullerplast) to a set of wood scales that will seal and add texture to them. Same technique used when frosting the finish on traditional bows. Not sure if you want to buy a gallon for just this project but there is not a better self leveling, filler and sealer on the market.

To frost the finish hold the airbrush or detail gun far enough away from the scales so that the varnish begins to flash while traveling through the air. When it hits the wood it will leave a slightly opaque rough finish. No sanding required and will only come off if the wood itself comes off. Give several days for the scales to reach full hardness based on your local humidity.

The high gloss is harder than the satin but when you frost over the high gloss the frost layer will actually appear as an opaque satin finish.
 
Hi guys

Thanks for the advice so far

I hadnt thought of the latex gloves - they would add some grip - but I dont know anyone this side of the pond who wears them when hunting.

I have done some searching but havent been able to find any Fullerplast locally (South Africa) - not to mention I dont have an airbrush or detail gun setup. Good idea though I wil store it in the memory bank for future use. Checkering sounds like it could be an option although I would need to get a checkering file/s and practice first.

I found a video from a US based knifemaker - Etzler Customs who applies texturing using a dremel, he calls it "erosion" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GL1Ek1OP9k). It looks like it would give great grip on his handle scales - im just not sure how attractive it would look on desert ironwood (where we are used to seeing high polish / stunning grain and figure in the wood.
 
I have made few hunters for customers,
One is a professional guide/hunter in Alaska and I use canvas Micarta and leave it at a 220 grit finish.

All of my customers have been very happy with the grip and retention with a 220 grit finish on canvas Micarta.

You can feel the cotton/canvas at that grit.
 
Hi Laurence

Thanks a lot for the advice - I have had a few other knifemaker friends here in SA comment and tell me that I should be looking at canvas micarta or G10 (specifically "Hunter Orange") - there is no way you should lose a hunter orange handled knife in the bush, whereas a normal wood scale such as Desert Ironwood is not all that visible if you drop it in the grass, and the "grip of polished DI scales is not great when up to the scales in blood and guts.

Only challenge will be getting some Micarta - short of making it myself or importing from the USA - I do not know of any place where I could buy Canvas orLinen Micarta in South Africa.
 
I have never had a problem with wood handles on my hunters, if you want something classy and phenolic take a look at Westinghouse ( that's a type) micarta. It looks and ages like ivory but is a paper laminate.
 
I am an avid hunter as well, never had an issue with wood handles. I do prefer stabilized wood, but regular wood is fine as well.
 
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