The choice of handle plates is a personal choice. We have used some of the harder Australian timbers to good effect. However, for a first knife we’d suggest you use one of the plastic materials that are widely available. In almost all the major towns there will be a plastics manufacturing shop of some form. All you will need will be off-cuts of about 150mm x 30mm x 8mm or so. Pieces of Perspex (particularly coloured ones), or other hard plastic are ideal. They are long lasting, tough and easy to work.
If you are using new Perspex, leave the protective paper on both sides for as long as you can. It will protect the surface from scratches and damage.
Trace out the shape of the plates, with an allowance for filing to shape. Place the tang over one plate, and drill machining holes through the holes you’ve already made in the tang. Repeat this process with the other plate, drilling from the other side of the tang. Mark the plates ‘left’ and ‘right’ so that you don’t get confused later. In the case of the lanyard hole, just make a pilot hole at this stage – say 1/8 inch or so.
We have found that bronze welding rod makes very good rivets. It is soft enough to pein over easily, it polishes well and is easily obtainable.
Cut off the necessary number of pieces of bronze rod, and put them through the plates as they fit over the tang. (Note that we are not talking about gluing at this stage). The rivets will prevent the plates from moving about, and you can file the plates down to almost finished size. You can do this with the guard removed. It makes it easier and you won’t put file marks in the brass.
We kept the handle as simple as possible. The line drawing below shows the basic lines used. We did not try for a final finish at this stage, but just worked down to the basic shape. Once that has been achieved, you can put the plates away until the final fitting.
