In this part of the tutorial we finish making the temporary handle.

Next I cut myself two pieces of hardwood that will become the handle. They are a little bit and a little long. ( I am using purpleheart wood)

Put the brass guard on the knife then clamp one of those wood handle pieces to the knife right in the proper position.

Purpleheart 3/8" x 1-1/2" x 5" Knife Scale 2-piece

A knife scale is a pair of wood pieces made specifically for knife handles. Just make sure it is bigger than the knife handle you are making.

Then drill through the holes in the knife handle and right through the wooden handle piece. This puts those handle holes in the right spot.

Now, one half of the handle is drilled. Clamp the second half onto that whole assembly.

The picture shows the drilled half is underneath. And the new half is on top.

Now flip is over and drill through those holes until you drill all the way through the whole assembly.

Then you can put wooden quarter inch pins through the whole thing. This is just a temporary setup so we can work on the shape of the handle. We will be removing those pins so the blade can be hardened and tempered.

Trim those pins down with a saw.

Now you can use a variety of tools to shape the handle into the desired shape. I clamped it in a vise and used a rasp. This makes easy work and quick.

Ok and there we go. The handle is shaped and complete. See the wooden pins? Now we can take this thing apart and harden and temper the blade. Then we will reassemble it using permanent brass pins.

Ok, Let's harden and temper the blade of this dagger

The Wonder of Knifemaking

Master smith Wayne Goddard is an icon in the field of knife making. As a full-time maker, teacher and writer, Goddard works as hard to teach knife making skills as he does to acquire them. His affiliation with BLADE Magazine has brought new and interesting information, tips and tricks to thousands of would-be knife makers. Other popular titles from Goddard include The Wonder of Knifemaking (2000) and $50 Knife Shop (2001 and 2006).

Basic Knife Making: From Raw Steel to a Finished Stub Tang Knife

Learn the craft of knifemaking. 205 color images and step-by-step instructions provide for all stages of construction, from selection of the steel, to forging the blade, assembling the handle, and constructing a holder.

Do you like making projects and exploring a variety of hobbies?

Sign up for my free newsletter. I give you regular updates on hobbies and projects you can make. it is totally free and I don't share your email with anybody.