Making bamboo knife handles

[wildfirecutlery]

Hello
I make kitchen knives and was wondering if anyone out there knows how I can use the actual bamboo for my handles . Not stripped and glued bamboo [ re: flooring ] but the actual bamboo itself. I have searched all over the web . Since the bamboo is hollow , I assume it will have to be filled , and somehow the tang of the knife will need to go thru an inner wall for support . I also do not know enough of bamboo types to know which would be best . Should be about 1.25-1.5 inches around.

Thank you - Michael

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Michael,
The majority of bamboos have a hollow core though there are some that have much thicker walls and a few that are solid, more so in the bottom half of a pole or with a very small hollow core.
I will compile a list of species that I know of that are solid or nearly solid and will post a link to the list.
Generally speaking though, all bamboos are thicker walled, ie, have a smaller hollow core at the base of the culm, usually at the bottom 1-3 ft.
Also the internodes are closer spaced at the bottom portion of bamboos than further up at the mid culm portion, giving the bamboo more strength and character. This spacing can vary with different species.
For example, one species, Phyllostachys aurea, which has a common name of Fishpole Bamboo conveniently has a handle-like base on culms growing up to 1 1/2 " as shown here:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/1Mvc-218f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=695) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/1Mvc-206f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=691)
... though when culms of this species grow larger, this often occurs further up the culm and is more distorted.

You're right, I did a google search for bamboo knife handles and only found a few links to knives with bamboo handles.
Here's a couple for reference, though I'd much rather see pics of what members here have made:

http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_type/straight/japanese_hunting_knife_with_bamboo_handle_sheath.html

http://www.russellsformen.com/05rwi05/ru-ak1.html

The handle in the last link is made from a rhizome, not the culm, probably from a Phyllostachys species.

Example of a Phyllostachys sp. rhizome ...
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/551/thumbs/PvRYAuTX050816-020.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=2204) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaureaRhz-899.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=2515) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/539/thumbs/1Pvivax11-MGA050222-524.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=942)

They are nearly solid, and are larger - to about 1-1 1/2 " with larger species, though the wood is not quite as dense or fibrous as the culm wood.

I know very little about knife making though bamboo will often provide me with a handy handle for a hand tool I might be using.
I'll guess there are 2 main ways to attach the bamboo handle ...
- inserting the knife tang into the bamboo which is kept 'in the round'
- sandwiching 2 pieces of bamboo to the knife.

For a knife maker making quality knives, I see the main challenge, if you're not growing bamboo yourself, is finding a source of nice pieces to work with.
If your looking for sources of bamboo, I'd suggest that you also make a post in the Bamboo Sources Wanted Forum (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=103)

Mark

[greg kono]

http://www.konodesign.com/jpg%20images/2007.02%20japan/05/06.JPG

The handles aren't made from bamboo, but I saw some nice sheaths made from bamboo at a store in Japan. Someday I'll try making my own.

[Mark Meckes]

That is a very interesting sheath Greg.
Were the 2 pieces of bamboo attached in any other way in addition to the binding, which looks like it may be rattan binding?

Mark

[greg kono]

I didn't notice anything else. Perhaps glue?

[budoweapons]

Here is a major shortcut-

go to your local major hardware store- Lowes, Home Depot, or your local flooring store

Look in the flooring section and see if they have bamboo flooring.

since this is getting to be pretty popular now it should be readily available.

It is about 18-36$ for a box of this stuff and you will have enuff to make knife handles till you are blue in the face.

Eddie

[Mark Meckes]

True, there's a lot of products on the market now that are using the laminated bamboo.
I recently saw bar-b-q grill cleaning brushes at Home Depot with laminated bamboo handles, touting them as a tree-free eco-friendly product. :eek:

Bamboo in it's natural form does offer a distinctively presonalized advantage when the outer 'skin' surface and node juncture becomes an integral part of the handle.
The challange would be to find a source that offers high quality/ unscarred materials of specified dimensions, and so doing one would have plenty of material to work with because a knife handle doesn't require much bamboo.

Mark

[bootoyoutoo]

Post deleted due to lack of response.