Staining handles

[gables]

I assume I would attach the unfinished handle to my knife before staining. For full tang knives with pins, how do I keep the spline and pins bright after staining?

[LC]

Well the answer depends on how you are planning on adhering the scales (handle) to the blade. I usually fully finish the front edge bolster of the handle before attaching. It's really hard to finish this area after completion. If your swaging or peening the pins and planning on this holding the scales you have to do this at the almost complete finishing stage. If your planning on glue only remember that the glue will seal the wood and it won't take stain around that area. But usually the scales are at a size that requires alot of finish sanding anyhow. So sand slow as to not overheat the glue and you get down to fresh wood to stain then.

[OconeeDan]

Gables, if you stain after glueing up the handles, you will still need to sand them down a final time before applying finish.  This will remove any stain from the tang and pins (as the metal can't soak up stain and there is just a thin layer of stain on the metal).  
Dan

[Ray Hammond]

a buffer and compound will remove any stain you have on the spine of the full tang and over the pins, gables. I would think after staining you would need to seal, then oooo steel wool, and some sort of sealer over that, and more oooo steel wool, then buff again.