How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

Sometimes the handle linings of knives break off, especially if they are made of plastic. It’s a pity to throw away a knife plate, especially when the blade can still serve for a long time.
First, we will discuss two ideas for restoring a knife handle, and then we will try to make one of them a reality. Any person holding cutting tools, a hammer, pliers and a brush can handle this kind of work.
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

If the shank is thick enough, then you can take a piece of hard wood, make a cut in it or drill a hole and insert the shank into it with tension. This type of fastening of the handle to the shank is called mounted. With a thin shank, this method of securing the handle will not be very reliable.
For such a case, it is better to make the handle from two identical halves and secure them to the shank with rivets, pins or furniture ties. This method, called riveted or overhead, seems to be the best here.
We prepare the knife for restoration by completely removing all remnants of the previous handle from the shank, and putting it in order.

What do we need for work?


Let's prepare the necessary materials:
  • knife plate – blade with a shank (recovery item);
  • veneer of red or similar quality wood;
  • a block of hardwood or multi-layer high-quality plywood;
  • epoxy resin;
  • metal rod (preferably copper or aluminum, but steel is also possible);
  • transparent waterproof varnish.

Required equipment and tools:
  • hacksaw for wood and metal;
  • Stanley knife (carpet knife);
  • pliers or pliers;
  • drilling machine or electric drill;
  • bench vice;
  • grinder and sandpaper.

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

The process of making a knife handle


How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

The dimensions of the handle depend on the length of the blade and shank, but the thickness of the pads should not be less than 6-7 mm, otherwise it is difficult to ensure the strength of the handle and ease of use. The sequence of individual steps is also not critical.
1. Cut two pieces of equal length from the prepared wooden block (future linings or cheeks of the handle).
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

2. Using pliers or a hacksaw, we separate the pins from the rod along a length slightly larger than the total thickness of the handle. At the end of the work, they can be riveted and the linings can be firmly connected to each other and to the shank. The ends of the pins are rounded for safety and ease of installation in the holes.
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

3. Using the shank with the heel as a sample, we place them on the cheek blanks, outline the front contour and the place where the hole is drilled. We carry out drilling and processing of the linings on the side of the blade according to the marks, since after assembling the knife it will not be easy to do this, especially if they are complex in configuration. We insert the pin into the hole and make sure that it matches in diameter and length.
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

4. We cut the veneer along the contour, placing a piece of it between the overlays, and removing the excess with a Stanley knife.
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

5. Apply epoxy resin to the outer surfaces of the linings, inserting a pin into the hole in advance, and glue the veneer. After making sure that there is no displacement, we assemble the knife plate, both pads with glued veneer along with the pin and clamp everything in a vice until the epoxy resin has completely cured.
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

6. Pre-shape the handle using first a band saw, a carpet knife, then a grinder and coarse sandpaper.
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

7. Bring the shape and smoothness of the surface of the handle to the required level with sanding paper of decreasing grit. We finally polish the surface of the handle, wipe it with a clean rag and apply a transparent waterproof varnish. This will protect our kitchen knives from moisture.
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

8. The knife is completely ready for use. It turned out to be functional and beautiful.
How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

How to restore a knife if the handle breaks off

P.S.


If the overlays are covered with veneer, then only the ends can be machined, otherwise the veneer coating can be damaged.
Original article in English
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Comments (16)
  1. Guest Sergey
    #1 Guest Sergey Guests March 9, 2019 10:53
    16
    And... actually... is there any point in wasting time with cheap Chinese junk...or purely sporting interest?...
    1. Guest Vladimir
      #2 Guest Vladimir Guests 9 March 2019 20:29
      4
      It happens that it is possible to make a blade. for example, from a damaged blade from a mechanical saw (very high quality steel). You can make a handle for the blade you have made in this way.
  2. Guest Marina
    #3 Guest Marina Guests 9 March 2019 15:12
    15
    so much fuss and with an unknown result! cheaper for health to buy a new one
  3. Guest Yuri
    #4 Guest Yuri Guests 9 March 2019 16:18
    12
    We take cold welding (for metal), mold the handle according to the hand. You can make several notches on the shank so that it holds more tightly. After hardening, modify it with a file or on a sharpener.
  4. Guest Alexander
    #5 Guest Alexander Guests March 10, 2019 00:54
    7
    Some people like to buy... And others like to make something themselves.
    1. Vladimir Spiridonov
      #6 Vladimir Spiridonov Guests March 11, 2019 00:31
      2
      And if there is an injection molding machine nearby, then molding a handle from molten plastic is a matter of two minutes.
  5. A.Volk
    #7 A.Volk Guests 10 March 2019 21:35
    4
    Isn’t it easier to take a plate of similar steel and weld it to a piece of blade using a semi-automatic machine?
  6. Alexander
    #8 Alexander Guests March 11, 2019 05:45
    2
    if a person has the urge and it is possible and a good thing why not do it
  7. MYSELF
    #9 MYSELF Guests March 11, 2019 10:20
    7
    They turned out to be freaks that will not live longer than their ancestors with plastic handles. The cuttings would need to be lengthened.
  8. Guest Oleg
    #10 Guest Oleg Guests 11 March 2019 13:54
    1
    I have a question: what to do if a ceramic knife breaks? By the way, it's not cheap.
    1. Sector
      #11 Sector Guests 12 March 2019 15:58
      2
      Most likely just throw it away. Ceramic knives must be handled very carefully.There are some who use ceramic knives to cut in a plate, and then wonder why it broke off on me. You only need to cut with a ceramic knife on a wooden (bamboo) board. Well, you can use plastic if you don’t have money for the first two types.
      1. Guest Yuri
        #12 Guest Yuri Guests 12 March 2019 18:41
        3
        Ceramics ONLY for soft products!
  9. Sector
    #13 Sector Guests 12 March 2019 15:54
    8
    They don't make a good knife with a shank like the one shown. This crap costs a maximum of 100 rubles in the store. The cost of restoring the knife is not worth it.
  10. Guest Andrey
    #14 Guest Andrey Guests 13 March 2019 19:02
    4
    For the money spent on materials for restoration, you can buy 2-3 knives and not bother... it’s a different matter if, on the contrary, you want to do some handicrafts, that’s a different matter...