# My First Rehandle!!



## ThEoRy

Finally took a crack at rehandling my Tojiro ITK bread knife and I'm pretty happy with the results. Dave, Stefan, Marko and Mike etc... you guys need to charge more. :laugh: Maybe it's just because it was my first one and I wanted to take special care not to ruin anything but I suspect you guys take the same precautions. 


Anyway I didn't take pics all the way through but I can explain my process.

1: Drill off old scales.

2: Grind the tang clean and leave it rough.

3: Drill tang holes 1/4"

4: Trace scales on new wood then rough shape them on belt grinder.

5: Sand scales flat on diamond plate wrapped with sandpaper.

6: Rough cut liner material.

7: Prep liner material and scales by roughing up then cleaning with alcohol.

8: Prepare devcon 2 ton 30 min epoxy and spread on inside of scales then apply to liner material and clamp.

9: Wait

10: Shape, round and polish the front of the scale since this would be much harder once attached.

11: Prepare the tand and scale with roughing and cleaning with alcohol.

12: Prepare epoxy and apply to tang and scale then fit up the scale and clamp.

13: Wait.

14: Drill from the tang side through the scale completely.

15: Prepare other scale, epoxy, clamp.

16: Wait.

17: Drill back from the first scale through the second.

18: Cut mosaic bar into three appropriately sized pieces with a hack saw.

19: Rough up the pins, chamfer the edges and clean with alcohol.

20: Clean the inside of the scale/tang holes with alcohol until cotton swab comes out clean.

21: Prepare epoxy and line the holes with it and coat the pins as well then tap pins through the holes.

22: With a plier, twist pins until they are all facing straight up.

23: Wait.

24: Final rough shaping on belt sander until scales meet the tang smoothly, including grinding off excess pin material until flush.

25: Grind in rough angles all around edges on both sides.

26: Hand shaping and sanding from 100 grit up to 12,000 grit.

27: Mineral oil hand buffing.

28: Pics.......


















29: Forget what wood it is..

There's some checks that appeared after sanding so I'm thinking ca glue then re sand a bit. But in any case, I'm happy with it for my first try. What do you guys think?


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## don

Nicely done! The handle looks great. How does it feel?


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## Dave Martell

Rick, you should be VERY happy with yourself, that's a really nice first handle for sure. :doublethumbsup:


PS - #29 made me laugh - so true


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## Von blewitt

Wow! Nice job Rick! I have been wanting to try this myself, I hope my first go comes out half as nice!


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## ThEoRy

Super smooth. Fit and finish is pretty good. Very flush feeling, no pins or ridges sticking up high or low.


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## Dave Martell

Yup, CA glue to fill in the voids and re-sand/buff and you're golden.


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## Dave Martell

What's the liner material?


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## ThEoRy

I think it was G 10, not sure. Lemme look at my jantz order.


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## Crothcipt

Dam man that looks like you have been doing it for years. Can't wait to see what else you come up with.


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## ThEoRy

Ok, It just says Fiber spacer. So it's not G 10 for sure because they have a whole different section for that.


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## ThEoRy

Thanks guys! Now I just hope this thing stays together!! :scared1: What's up next? Wa handle. And then I have something else planned.


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## Mrmnms

Outstanding Rick. If this was your first one, you must have been thinking this through for a while. Home run.


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## El Pescador

Jeez Rick that looks great!


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## Johnny.B.Good

Sure doesn't look like a first effort to me.

Nice job!


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## knyfeknerd

Great job Rick. The more I do it, the more I realize how bad I suck and I appreciate how good the pros really are. 
You're screwed now, I'm sure you're hooked. You'll be rehandling everything from spatulas to toilet plungers next!


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## ThEoRy

knyfeknerd said:


> Great job Rick. The more I do it, the more I realize how bad I suck and I appreciate how good the pros really are.
> You're screwed now, I'm sure you're hooked. You'll be rehandling everything from spatulas to toilet plungers next!



Bwahahaha!! I've been collecting wood from Craig Stevens, Arizona Ironwood and our own Burl Source for well over a year now. It's about time I start producing something. Hankotsu next? After that, Wa handle, then something special.


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## JMac

Nice job, how exactly did u remove the old scales?


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## ThEoRy

Drill press with a 3/16 " bit or possibly the next size down.


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## Cipcich

For your next trick, try doing without getting any epoxy on your hands . . .


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## ecchef

Looks great Rick! I like the step by step commentary.


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## HHH Knives

LOL, Thanks for the laugh and welcome to the club. We meet every Thursday and Sunday. at 7:00 pm  Hello, my name is Randy. Im a Burl Junky and cross addicted to musk ox horn and mammoth ivory. I got my last fix about a hour ago when I purchased some maple burl from Burl source and some ironwood from Arizona Ironwood. The funny part is the last comment is TRUE!


I can see it now. You have entered the twilight zone. 

1. You started collecting woods.. Which is the first step in the addiction.  

2. You start to see everything as a possible Handle material. from a tree to well. your grandma's dining room set and everything in between and your thinking " Hmmm I bet that would make a cool knife handle" 

3. You start buying knives .. Just to rehandle them.. 

4. Your realize your gona need more tools. so you start another collection. TOOLS 

5. Your addiction grows and when ya see a large burl on a neighbors tree. And you have to fight the urge to break out the chainsaw and bring it home.. 

6. You start to stockpile more woods and material. and convince yourself to add on a room to the house or designate a large area of your home for your NEW work space for your obsession not to mention all the new tools  and all that burl. 

7. You realize knife making is not a hobby but a addiction that can quickly take over your world. 

8. Replete these steps. and continue having a blast, making cool stuff and lovin it! :spin chair:

Thats as far as I have come so I cant say for sure where this ends.. I sure hope not!! lol Yep Im a addict. 
Have fun and be safe..

By the way. Your first looks WAY better then mine did.. :cool2: Great job, And fun play by play. 

Blessings
Randy


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## Lefty

Looks really really nice, Rick!


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## franzb69

I can see it now..... another addiction, just as Randy says.

=D


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## marc4pt0

this page is now bookmarked (not just buy me alone I'm sure) as I'm also attempting this. My tools all just came in the mail last night, so here I go! Thanks for the step by step for scales, Rick. I'm very, very excited to give this a shot. 
Anybody have suggestions on knocking out the existing pins? I'm thinking a clamp, nail tap/finisher and lightly knock em out?


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## wenus2

Rick that looks great man, nice job.
That's funny you forgot the wood


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## knyfeknerd

marc4pt0 said:


> Anybody have suggestions on knocking out the existing pins? I'm thinking a clamp, nail tap/finisher and lightly knock em out?


Depending on the knife, that's probably not going to work in most cases. There's usually nothing "light" about getting the rivets out.
Drill baby, drill!
Either that or some people use a grinder.


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## Dream Burls

Great job Rick. I hope you really get hooked on making handles and need a lot more wood.:biggrin:


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## NO ChoP!

Impeccable. Impressed.

Good job, bro!


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## mainaman

Great first rehandles.


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## Mike9

Great looking handle Rick - and yeah Randy pretty much summed it up.


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## toddnmd

That looks great--I'm really impressed. And the detailed steps are helpful.

When are you gonna start taking orders?

I don't think I'm going to start making handles, but I do have a budding knife and exotic wood addiction . . .


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## Marko Tsourkan

Damn, it's a great outcome for a first rehandle. You wouldn't want to see my first rehandle for sure. Great job!


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## stereo.pete

Nice work for your first time Theory.


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## Steel in Texas

Inspirational post for future handle makers of the world!:goodpost:


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## jayhay

Real nice work. Great you did it the right way from the start. You just shortened the learning curve, for sure. Good luck on the rest of 'em!


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## chinacats

Makes me want to try a western. Nice job!

Cheers


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## Burl Source

Very nice handle!


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## CrisAnderson27

Beautiful handle Mr. Theory!! That wood looks very familiar to me. I bought a similar one from Craig Stevens awhile back. I forgot what mine was too (even now lol), but thankfully I can still see the ebay auction =p. 

It seems its raspberry cottonwood burl lol, maybe yours is too?



HHH Knives said:


> LOL, Thanks for the laugh and welcome to the club. We meet every Thursday and Sunday. at 7:00 pm  Hello, my name is Randy. Im a Burl Junky and cross addicted to musk ox horn and mammoth ivory. I got my last fix about a hour ago when I purchased some maple burl from Burl source and some ironwood from Arizona Ironwood. The funny part is the last comment is TRUE!
> 
> 
> I can see it now. You have entered the twilight zone.
> 
> 1. You started collecting woods.. Which is the first step in the addiction.
> 
> 2. You start to see everything as a possible Handle material. from a tree to well. your grandma's dining room set and everything in between and your thinking " Hmmm I bet that would make a cool knife handle"
> 
> 3. You start buying knives .. Just to rehandle them..
> 
> 4. Your realize your gona need more tools. so you start another collection. TOOLS
> 
> 5. Your addiction grows and when ya see a large burl on a neighbors tree. And you have to fight the urge to break out the chainsaw and bring it home..
> 
> 6. You start to stockpile more woods and material. and convince yourself to add on a room to the house or designate a large area of your home for your NEW work space for your obsession not to mention all the new tools  and all that burl.
> 
> 7. You realize knife making is not a hobby but a addiction that can quickly take over your world.
> 
> 8. Replete these steps. and continue having a blast, making cool stuff and lovin it! :spin chair:
> 
> Thats as far as I have come so I cant say for sure where this ends.. I sure hope not!! lol Yep Im a addict.
> Have fun and be safe..
> 
> By the way. Your first looks WAY better then mine did.. :cool2: Great job, And fun play by play.
> 
> Blessings
> Randy



Soooo, soooo, sooooo true!!!


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## CPD

CrisAnderson27 said:


> Beautiful handle Mr. Theory!! That wood looks very familiar to me. I bought a similar one from Craig Stevens awhile back. I forgot what mine was too (even now lol), but thankfully I can still see the ebay auction =p.
> 
> It seems its raspberry cottonwood burl lol, maybe yours is too?
> 
> 
> 
> Soooo, soooo, sooooo true!!!



Thanks for identifying what the wood was and the source. Was wondering and going to guess box elder. Craig Stevens makes some outrageous dyed blanks and scales. I've got a few pieces of his stuff in my stash of lumber I'm gearing up to use on a wa handle this week. Great to see such good results. Great job on the handle to the original poster!


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## CrisAnderson27

CPD said:


> Thanks for identifying what the wood was and the source. Was wondering and going to guess box elder. Craig Stevens makes some outrageous dyed blanks and scales. I've got a few pieces of his stuff in my stash of lumber I'm gearing up to use on a wa handle this week. Great to see such good results. Great job on the handle to the original poster!



No thanks necessary! And yes, Craig's wilder colored stuff stuff is very, very beautiful if you can make it work. The purple was...difficult to pull off and keep classy lol...but I used wenge and brass to offset it...and it seemed to come out ok. Theory did an excellent job with it!

Oh, and speaking of Craigs stuff...I was just outbid a couple weeks ago on a blue and gold piece. I bid $55, and it went for $75. 

INSANE!


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## apicius9

I have seen one set of Craig's scales go up to $249. That clearly is insanity...

Stefan


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## CrisAnderson27

apicius9 said:


> I have seen one set of Craig's scales go up to $249. That clearly is insanity...
> 
> Stefan



Wow lol. I could see one (very wealthy) person perhaps being willing to bid that much for a piece of wood...but two lol?

Again...wow =p.

By the way...thanks that little piece of all grey buckeye burl you sold through Myron. I think I have just the project for it .


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## CPD

apicius9 said:


> I have seen one set of Craig's scales go up to $249. That clearly is insanity...
> 
> Stefan



wow! 

I have a big turning block of sugargum burl I got from him that I'm planning on using as ferrules next to African Blackwood - maybe if my ambition doesn't get ahead of me, with some silver string inlay in the blackwood instead of a spacer too. (Pictures to be posted of the finished result if I don't botch the thing). As others have said in this message string.... "it's an addiction."....

Speaking of Craig's stuff -- some of it is outrageously bold, some of it more subtle - but it's definitely impressive. 

I think I spent around $60 on my block from him and almost didn't pull the trigger to get it thinking "it's just one piece of dyed wood...not anything exotic." Once I saw it in person, though, I could easily have seen myself doubling what I paid to try and make a showpiece project. 

When I traded messages with Craig, he said the combination of dyes and drying times took about 6 years on the sugargum. How much of that was "lost in a woodpile and forgotten about" versus actually necessary, I couldn't say but it made the price seem a little less steep. He seems as addicted and focused on his blanks as some of us get on what we do with them.

Don't want to hijack the thread here...but for the other handle making addicts - this is the piece I got from him:


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## RoanRoks29

Dam dude !! That is sexy !! Awesome First handle!!!!!!


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## RoanRoks29

HHH Knives said:


> LOL, Thanks for the laugh and welcome to the club. We meet every Thursday and Sunday. at 7:00 pm  Hello, my name is Randy. Im a Burl Junky and cross addicted to musk ox horn and mammoth ivory. I got my last fix about a hour ago when I purchased some maple burl from Burl source and some ironwood from Arizona Ironwood. The funny part is the last comment is TRUE!
> 
> 
> I can see it now. You have entered the twilight zone.
> 
> 1. You started collecting woods.. Which is the first step in the addiction.
> 
> 2. You start to see everything as a possible Handle material. from a tree to well. your grandma's dining room set and everything in between and your thinking " Hmmm I bet that would make a cool knife handle"
> 
> 3. You start buying knives .. Just to rehandle them..
> 
> 4. Your realize your gona need more tools. so you start another collection. TOOLS
> 
> 5. Your addiction grows and when ya see a large burl on a neighbors tree. And you have to fight the urge to break out the chainsaw and bring it home..
> 
> 6. You start to stockpile more woods and material. and convince yourself to add on a room to the house or designate a large area of your home for your NEW work space for your obsession not to mention all the new tools  and all that burl.
> 
> 7. You realize knife making is not a hobby but a addiction that can quickly take over your world.
> 
> 8. Replete these steps. and continue having a blast, making cool stuff and lovin it! :spin chair:
> 
> Thats as far as I have come so I cant say for sure where this ends.. I sure hope not!! lol Yep Im a addict.
> Have fun and be safe..
> 
> By the way. Your first looks WAY better then mine did.. :cool2: Great job, And fun play by play.
> 
> Blessings
> Randy


 HHAHAHAHAHAHAHA SOO TRUE!!! I have been in rehab for the last 3 months but I am starting to relapse!! just decided to move so that I could have a work space and a basement to put all my tools and wood in !! My uncle just cut down some old apple trees and pine tree and I have been tempted to steal a few pieces and bring them home with me!! So addicting!!! I need some group therapy!!


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## Sam Cro

Excellent Job with the re-handle work when you are installing your new handles try using a bit of blue /green tape at the guard area to protect the Blade from epoxy over run . when the epoxy is about cured (before it is hardened ) remove the tape and you will have a clean area at the blade to handle area . congratulation to the Blade addiction group.

Sam


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