Woods Master Junior with leather handle

I have had this Woods Master Junior blade sitting around my shop for ages. I also had some really thick leather I bought ages ago and didn't make use of for the purpose for which I'd bought it in the first place. So I decided to use some of that leather to make a handle on a knife to see how well it could do. Of course, leather has been used for centuries to make leather handles, particularly Scandinavian knives.



The leather I used is 1/4" thick, epoxied to the blade, then riveted with large saddler's rivets, textured, then dipped into hot beeswax.

The leather is now almost hard as nail, although it still feels soft and warm to the touch, and has some slight give. With hindsight, the rivets probably don't need to be as big as they are. I used them because I had them at hand, and thought the bigger rivets would support the scales better. I should also have dyed the leather first, it's taken a funny toffee colour. And I should have sanded the rivets before setting them, as they look a bit rough, but I think these are only minor cosmetic changes.



All in all, I am pleased with this first experiment with a leather handle and I am already planning my next knife. I think this is going to be a practical material for knife handle, if not as pretty as some woods or antler. It's less slippery wet than dry too, although I used only water. It may prove more slippery with gunge on it! And much nicer to work than Micarta!