Need a Knife Handle

[jbenat]

I have a hunting knife that my dad made while stationed in Puetro Rico during WWII. I found it in an old fishing tackle box recently. The handle is made from plexiglass (?) aircraft windows, I think, but has begun rotting off. Do any of you know of a custom knife maker or taxidermist located in the northern DFW area who might fashion a bone or antler handle? It is a heirloom I would like to hand down to my son. Thanks.

[joe817]

I don't know of any custom knife makers in DFW area, but the Texas Knifemaker's Guild might be a place to start:

http://texasknifemakersguild.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck! Sounds like a great project.

[9mmfan]

Some of the gun shows have booths that sell materials, you might look there. I might do the same to replace the dowel I used to fabricate a handle for a Weber Grill a while back.

For techniques and other info, there is a sub forum for non-firearms tools/weapons over to The High Road. It is frequented by many folks who make their own knives. They could undoubtedly give you a pointer or two.

Good luck on your project.

[The Annoyed Man]

I have a hunting knife that my dad made while stationed in Puetro Rico during WWII. I found it in an old fishing tackle box recently. The handle is made from plexiglass (?) aircraft windows, I think, but has begun rotting off. Do any of you know of a custom knife maker or taxidermist located in the northern DFW area who might fashion a bone or antler handle? It is a heirloom I would like to hand down to my son. Thanks.

I have the exact same kind of knife, which my dad brought home from Guam at the end of the war. He said the plexiglass on the handle came from the canopies of destroyed Japanese aircraft on Guam. Navy and Marine armorers would make them and sell them as souvenirs to the marines stationed there. My dad was recuperating and training on Guam from wounds suffered at Iwo Jima when the war ended.

[Kiowa Scout]

.........but have you perhaps considered looking into getting some handle material eg. Mammoth tooth and making a handle? Might be cool to pass along something that has some of grandpa AND dad's craftsmanship... :)

If you decide to go the route that AndyC suggested the guys at Texas Knife Supply have just about anything you could ask for in the way of building a knife. http://www.texasknife.com

[drjoker]

Why not just go to Loew's hardware and buy a piece of pexiglass for $1.25. Then, use a electric saw to cut it and a dremel to carve it into the exact shape you need? Use a drill to make holes for the attachment screws. It seems like the pexiglass is part of the "war story" so you want to maintain it.

Nobody makes stuff by hand in America anymore. It is too expensive and we're a W@l-M@rt nation that's too cheap to buy proper stuff made in the USA by Americans. I do own a 3d printer and a 3d scanner. If you'd like, I can make one with it out of plastic and give you a digital file of the knife so that if this happens again in the future, future generations could use the digital file to reprint the handle. Here's a video of how the whole process would work in an easy to understand and fun to watch cartoon:

https://vimeo.com/12768578

You don't even have to pay me. Just buy me 2 buckets of Remington's golden bullets high velocity round nose 40 grains (500 count buckets in .22LR) or the equivalent quantity of CCI Mini-Mag Copper Round Nose .22LR bullets.

I have the following colors available; red, orange, yellow, black, white, brown, gray, gold (-ish, not true gold), and pink. If you need another color that I don't currently have, that's fine but it will cost you another bucket of 500 bullets. It can be made in any color you want. You can even have it monogrammed with your father's initials on it. I've made a pair of pink monogrammed grips for a friend's Sig P238. She loved it.

As long as you're not in a hurry for it, I can help you. The 3d printer breaks all the time so I actually have to repair it a lot, which slows down the whole production schedule. 3d drafting and CAD design and prototyping is only my hobby not my job so if my job keeps me busy, the project may be delayed. It could take 2 days or 2 months.

PM me if you're interested.

I have a hunting knife that my dad made while stationed in Puetro Rico during WWII. I found it in an old fishing tackle box recently. The handle is made from plexiglass (?) aircraft windows, I think, but has begun rotting off. Do any of you know of a custom knife maker or taxidermist located in the northern DFW area who might fashion a bone or antler handle? It is a heirloom I would like to hand down to my son. Thanks.

[Abraham]

Why not use the 3d printer to make a new 3d printer?

Just ask me: I'm fulla great ideas...or something...

[drjoker]

Why not use the 3d printer to make a new 3d printer?

Just ask me: I'm fulla great ideas...or something...

Actually, you can. It's called a "REPRAP" or self-REPlication RAPid prototyping machine. Currently, the technology only allows you replicate metal or plastic parts with 2 separate machines. It cannot make microchips, though. So, it still cannot completely self-replicate. The 3d printers that print metal are at least half a million dollars or more. The plastic printers are $500 or more. I have a plastic printer that I paid $2000 for. I wish I have a metal printer.