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Posted: 7/4/2011 7:12:25 AM EDT
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]I was attracted to flared tubing because it's simple and unlike pins - has shear and tension strength. In my (not always) humble opinion, it is superior to straight tubing. So I tried my hand at tube flaring this morning with the dies from USA Knife Maker http://www.usaknifemaker.com/tube-flaring-dies-for-fastening-handles-p-2969.html
The dies are easy to use if you experiment with their formula for tube length and countersink diameter. I wanted the flare to be below the finished surface. The third try (upper right in last pic) was a charm using the following formula: 1. cut thin walled stainless tube and square off ends to equal material thickness 2. countersink 1/4" tube hole to .4 diameter 3. flare tubing 
Yes, it's so simple a monkey (like me) can do it! |
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Yeah I played with tubes for holding the grips on. Went out and bought a 3 ton press and some dies. I tried thin walled and thicker walled tubes and then special ordered the thickest walled stainless steel tubes I could find. All failed.
They are great for defensive knife or knives that won't see heavy chopping or throwing. If the knife is going to be used for chopping and batonning, and lord forbid, you have to whack the handle to straighten the knife while batonning, they just don't hold up. Well, they don't hold up to MY expectations I should say. The stainless tubes never actually broke and the grip panel never actually came off, but the grips did loosen. I made a batch of Reflection Mk V's for a group of Recon Marines and after a training session of throwing the knives, the grips loosened. After that I sold the press and that was it for tubes for me. When I build something I want it bomb proof, and they ain't. |
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Quoted:
Yeah I played with tubes for holding the grips on. Went out and bought a 3 ton press and some dies. I tried thin walled and thicker walled tubes and then special ordered the thickest walled stainless steel tubes I could find. All failed. They are great for defensive knife or knives that won't see heavy chopping or throwing. If the knife is going to be used for chopping and batonning, and lord forbid, you have to whack the handle to straighten the knife while batonning, they just don't hold up. Well, they don't hold up to MY expectations I should say. The stainless tubes never actually broke and the grip panel never actually came off, but the grips did loosen. I made a batch of Reflection Mk V's for a group of Recon Marines and after a training session of throwing the knives, the grips loosened. After that I sold the press and that was it for tubes for me. When I build something I want it bomb proof, and they ain't. It is most definitely superior to a straight walled tube or pin and I plan to use them for all my lanyard tubes. |
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Jasun, are you screwing and gluing or just screwing? If you are gluing, what kind of adhesive are you using? . I use threaded stainless steel posts that go through the tang and halfway into each grip and then screws into those. Absolutely bombproof. The SEER of mine that got shot 2 - 3 times with a 5.45 x 39mm by an insurgent scumbag while it was hanging on a PMC's plate carrier, the grips, which were Dymondwood, were vaporized, yet the screws and posts were still there. They looked for the parts of the knife and there wasn't anything left of the grips bigger than a chewed up toothpick tip. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Jasun, are you screwing and gluing or just screwing? If you are gluing, what kind of adhesive are you using? . I use threaded stainless steel posts that go through the tang and halfway into each grip and then screws into those. Absolutely bombproof. The SEER of mine that got shot 2 - 3 times with a 5.45 x 39mm by an insurgent scumbag while it was hanging on a PMC's plate carrier, the grips, which were Dymondwood, were vaporized, yet the screws and posts were still there. They looked for the parts of the knife and there wasn't anything left of the grips bigger than a chewed up toothpick tip. damn, I'd say that is a pretty good testiment for the fastening system you use. I don't think any handle material could survive that kind of punishment but the fact that the fastener were still there says a lot. |
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I use tubes for many of my heavier work blades. They get heavy abuse from those using them and they have been thrown a lot. Email me and we can chat about how they can be done better. My uncle makes throwing knives for competition and they don't like handles that are pinned or otherwise. They tell me that no matter what, ALL non wrapped handles will come off if you throw the knife a lot.
Recent example........ 
Uploaded with ImageShack.us Lot of color variation in handle....I am not a good photographer! |
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