Bladesmithing 101 (Episode 8): Handle Scales and Contouring

Welcome back to Sword Wolf Forge for Episode 8 of our Bladesmithing 101 series! In this video, Andy walks you through the crucial process of attaching and shaping handle scales. To keep things simple and economical for beginners, we are working with beautiful walnut wood and 3/16-inch black G10 pins. The process starts by ensuring your blade and scales have perfectly flat mating surfaces using a piece of marble and 220-grit sandpaper. Next, we dive into the safest method for drilling your pin holes one side at a time to guarantee everything aligns correctly. Andy shares tricks for chamfering your pins to prevent splitting the wood , along with why it is absolutely necessary to shape the front edge of the scales before attaching them to the knife. We also do a complete walkthrough of the epoxy process, explaining why beginners should opt for West Systems 24-hour epoxy instead of the fast-setting 5-minute version. Once the epoxy is cured, we move over to the 2x72 belt grinder on a low speed to safely profile the handle , highlighting the importance of wearing a respirator. Andy demonstrates techniques for contouring the handle to fit your hand perfectly , transitioning from aggressive 45-degree angles to smooth, hand-sanded curves using 220 and 400-grit paper. Finally, we apply a protective finish using tung oil to bring out the natural grain of the walnut. Next time, we wrap up the entire 101 series with the final step: sharpening your new blade! Product Links G/5 Epoxy: https://a.co/d/0cLWIvZX F/flex Epoxy: https://a.co/d/06oaqlVF Full Series Playlist:    • Bladesmithing 101: A Beginner's Guide to t...   Sword Wolf Forge Website: swfknives.com Video Services provided by WebCraft: vvebcraft.com #blacksmith #bladesmith #bladesmithing #forging #swordwolfforge ‪@vvebcraft‬