Mora Knife Re-Handling

This is my first try at re-handling a knife, so I thought I'd keep it simple, no antler, leather or brass bolsters here, just a simple handle (with a little caving) for a simple blade.

Blade patinered, pear wood handle carved, epoxied on and linsead oiled up!

This is my plastic 'Mora Frost Knife', before being reconditioned with a pear wood handle, and patinering the blade.

A good lump of English pear wood, courtesy of my friend Jimbo's garden.

First stage is to select a good section (minimal radial splits) then chop it in half, down the grain.

After selecting the better half, it is then chopped in half again, and the better half chosen.

Once the rough size is achieved with the saw, I used the mora to cut out the rough shape of the handle.

I decided to go along the lines of the original mora handle, with a few tweaks here and there. Because I have large hands, it was a case of holding the pear handle, and deciding where some wood needs shaving off.. here and there!

The difficult bit of the job was to sink the tang of the blade into the handle. I used a 2mm & 3mm drill bit. Most standard drill bits wont go deep enough, but I managed to find a specialist retailer who sells long drill bits. They are made by Presto of Shefield, England. (Picture shows the 2mm drill bit in the chuck!)

After I had cleaned up the blade, by patinering it in white vinigar for two days, I drilled out the insertion slot. All ready for my wolfcrafter embos to be carved on the side.

Nothing fancy again, just a pen outline sketch, then chissled out with a fine chissle. I also purchased a fine diamond tipped bobble headed drill bit, (abit like a large pin head) for smoothing the edges. When the craving was finnished, I inserted the blade with some epoxy glue, then finnished off with linsead oil.