removing plastic handle

[Howard Pollack]

Hi- I have a small kitchen knife that has excellent steel. Unfortunately the handle is solid plastic and terribly shaped. I'd like to change it but I'm unsure as to how to remove the old handle. There are no rivets in the handle. Any tips will be most appreciated. -Howard

[Jim Koepke]

My first attempt would likely be a hacksaw blade running parallel to the knife's metal.

The knife should be held in a solid manner to avoid injury to you or the knife's metal.

You may find a very short tang on the knife. That could be difficult to install a new handle.

jtk

[Edward Weber]

Heat gun to warm up the handle.
With the blade in a vise, you can usually soften the plastic and slide off the handle.

[Halgeir Wold]

Wrap the blade in some solid cloth, place only the handle vertical on a bench, but whole knife horisontal, and give it a whack with a hammer at the far end first..
may be starting " a bit" gently....

[Jason Buresh]

Depending on the type of vice you have, see if you can clamp it in the vice with the edge down so as not to cut your fingers, and also making sure the handle makes contact with the jaws. Take an old chisel and slowly start making a line in the plastic. As you work and get deeper the handle should split where the tang is inserted. Just take it slow and steady

[Howard Pollack]

Thanks everyone. I accomplished the task with a hack saw and a chisel. -Howard

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks everyone. I accomplished the task with a hack saw and a chisel. -Howard

Great, someone once said, without pictures it didn't happen.

Can you post some images?

I rehandled a spatula once:

Spatula Repladement Handle.jpg

It had a plastic handle and was in a pan in the oven when the oven was turned on to pre-heat without being checked. The handle melted.

jtk

[Howard Pollack]

I haven't yet done the re-handling, I've just knocked the old handle off. When the task is done (which will take awhile) I'll post pictures. Thanks. -Howard