Filings around inlays in a knife handle

All knife makers probably know this… I would think. When making a knife handle with different materials, and especially with metal inlays, you will almost always, over time, be able to feel the transition between the materials. This happens because the materials “move” differently. Wood, horn, bone, tooth, etc., are natural materials that, even if dry or stabilized, react to humidity and temperature changes. This causes the materials to expand or contract. Not by much… but enough that you can feel a difference in level. Especially if using metals as inlays, since they do not react in the same way.

That’s why I almost always make a filing on each side of the inlay. When holding the knife or running your fingers over the inlay, it is the filing you feel, not the difference in material levels.

Additionally, it also serves as a decoration on the handle, giving it that final “touch.”

Here is a guide on how I do it.

I start by drawing the lines on the handle around the inlays. The distance from the inlay can vary depending on the size of the file I use. Normally, I use a 3.0 mm round file, so I mark the distance about 3.0 mm from the inlay. This creates a “surface” of roughly 1.5 mm for the filing.

Then I start filing. Small, light strokes at first to create a groove. On straight inlays, it is “just” a matter of filing around the handle. But with curved inlays, like here, it is important to file with a small section of the file to follow the curve of the inlay. I usually only use about 1 cm of the file at a time.

As I file around the handle, I no longer rely on the pencil line as a guide. Instead, I watch the distance from the file to the inlay and use that to control the direction.

Once I have filed one side of the inlay, I file the other side. The inner curve can be a little more difficult to file, so here it is important to use very small strokes.

Then it’s just a matter of filing around all the inlays. Finally, I go through all the filings to check that they are equally deep and equally wide.

At the end, the handle is treated with oil as usual. Once the oil has cured, I usually polish the handle as well. This also slightly rounds the edges of the filings so they are not so sharp.

And as you can see, it also works as a decoration on the handle. On this knife, I have also made filings in the inlays. You can see how I do that in another guide.