How are handles attached to a draw knife?

[Mike Henderson]

I have the opportunity to buy a nice Witherby draw knife but with ugly handles. I can make new handles but I need to know how they're attached and whether I can remove the old ones and attach new ones.

Any description will help. If it's not the exact technique used by Witherby it might still give me some guidance.

Thanks,
Mike

[Joe Bailey]

A quick look at the 5 or 6 samples I have show either a simple tang driven into the wood handle, or a longer tang, passing through a cup over the bottom bulb of the handle, which is peened over.

[Bob Glenn]

Mike, you just about have to have the tangs go all the way through the handles to secure them enough so they don't pull off during use. I got one that has the tangs bent over with no cups.

[Mike Henderson]

Thanks, Bob and Joe. That gives me enough to go on.

Mike

[Chet R Parks]

Mike, I have one and it to has a cup with the tang going thru and peened over. I see that LV makes one, maybe a call to them to ask how there's are constructed and how one would go about removing the handles. They are always helpful.

[Mike Henderson]

Mike, I have one and it to has a cup with the tang going thru and peened over. I see that LV makes one, maybe a call to them to ask how there's are constructed and how one would go about removing the handles. They are always helpful.

I'm too cheap to buy a Lie Nielsen, Chet. The one I'm looking at is an antique Witherby (and much less expensive than an LN).

Mike

[Bill Houghton]

The best drawknife handles had the tang passing through the handle and a domed washer, with the handle turned to accommodate the washer; and the tang peened over. If your handle's built that way, you may need to grind off the peening and then turn/whittle slightly shorter handles, so you can replicate the approach. The tang may be tapered, in which case, you'll need to drill a stepped hole, and may need to burn the tang in: heat it up enough to soften or even char the wood, drive it through, then let it cool.

[David Silverson]

I have a number of them but you couldn't go wrong with the LV Austrian drawknife. It's inexpensive for a new one. In Canada older used ones are not that plentiful.

[Steve Voigt]

Here's a helpful blog series by Pete Galbert:

http://chairnotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-handle-on-it.html

http://chairnotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-handle-on-it-part-2.html

http://chairnotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-handle-on-it-part-3-etc.html