Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: How are handles attached to a draw knife?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Villa Park. CA
    Posts
    13,051

    How are handles attached to a draw knife?

    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
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  2. #2
    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.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Newburgh, Indiana
    Posts
    918
    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.
    Life's too short to use old sandpaper.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Villa Park. CA
    Posts
    13,051
    Thanks, Bob and Joe. That gives me enough to go on.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Rural, West Central Minn
    Posts
    218
    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.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Villa Park. CA
    Posts
    13,051
    Quote Originally Posted by Chet R Parks View Post
    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
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Sebastopol, California
    Posts
    2,319
    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.

  8. #8
    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.

  9. #9
    "For me, chairs and chairmaking are a means to an end. My real goal is to spend my days in a quiet, dustless shop doing hand work on an object that is beautiful, useful and fun to make." --Peter Galbert

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •