Thread: Stag antler handle ideas

I have a decent piece of antler here and was thinking how cool it would be to fit it to my Svord machete ,any ideas on how to go about it?will post pictures tomorrow. Thanks

It is hard to get the right bit without a bit of the pith showing. you need to play around and find a bend that is pretty much exactly right shape to start with. I split the antler with a thin metal cutting disk on the angle grinder. make sure you mask up, the dust is very toxic for your lungs,and stinks like hell. If you end up with a pithy bit showing just pour super glue on it ( 2dollar shop stuff is fine) and then polish it up.

I have done lots of antler handles as replacements, easiest way is to drill holes to form a slot and glue tang in with Gorilla Grip. Use the Coronet as a hilt or turn it around so the Coronet is away from the blade and the bay tyne forms a hilt

This one I used the antler tip just to be different. Drilled and slotted antler , drilled a few holes through knife tang and roughed it up with grinder then filled antler slot with epoxy glue and pushed the tang in . Feels solid and a bit different than antler scales .

Here’s the deal.

The thing always feels like it’s about to leave my grip when I’m swinging it so figure the antler might be better.

So what do you reakon?split with a saw the epoxy glue and 3 bolts to secure?any way to get the wooden handle off without wrecking it in case I stuff the antler up and need to put wood handle back on?

I know what you mean about feel like loosing it...have considered laynyard wrapped around wrist.....gorse sucks and I hate it with vengence,my machete gets used on it more than anything else,even with gloves on,still get the odd thorn in hand....been thinking/pondering it for some time....remember the pirates cutless with handguard??? it seems the idea is making comeback...well the enclosed handle bit is,they havent got it right yet and made decent hand guard...I looked at sard wonder soap plastic container...cut side out of it and took off lid,put small slit across base JUST big enough to push handle through....it feels like it will work fine...looks a bit hori but I couldnt give a shit if it keeps thorns away.

@viper will know about the brass bits

Brass cutlers rivets are handy wee things. Top of the holes are countersunk so they sit flush when finished.

https://www.workshopheaven.com/cutlers-rivets.html

i just picked up some brass bar offcuts from engineers for the handles i've done , and the smaller ones (2-3mm) I used brass welding rod.

Then do you peen the ends to hold them in place?

yep , just a couple of taps while they are still a touch to long then carefully smooth them off with a light file to flush and I use just a smear of epoxy on the pin and also epoxy the scales in place , and I try to make them a snug tap in place fit in the handle steel and the scales , but that's just me....
but I don't intend to ever remove the scales , and the pros will probably tell you that's not the way to do it ....