I've seen some posts from folks who built some Helle Knives from kits they got from Dryad Bows and I thought, "Me too!"
I ordered the Harding -- the kit they recommend for beginners. Here's what happened.
I did a couple things different. I like a big handle that swells to fill my palm and has a couple flat surfaces for my thumb and index finger. The block they provided was barely long enough for what I wanted and I had this piece of oak lying about, so... oak it is -- big, open grain and all!
I sawed and re-sawed some oak, layed-out the tang and the handle, rough-cut the wood on a bandsaw, drilled some holes, gouged more space behind the bolster, got busy with the JB Weld, and spent an hour sanding the handle.
As I made the sheath, I had to relocate the hole where the tang retainer and belt loop are attached. I used a Chicago screw instead of the fastener provided with the kit. I also used a heavier twine than they supplied.
In the end I'm looking at a servicable knife with a nice blade and a handle I like with a pretty good sheath -- for $46 delivered, a couple components I had lying about, and an afternoon's work.
A very good deal, I'd say...
Topic: Helle Knife kit from Dryad (Read 341 times)
