Why wrap a knife handle? The question can frequently come into your mind. As the knife is an obvious thing in your kitchen, you use it every day for cutting fruits, vegetables, and other things. So the durability of a knife is a matter of concern for you.
How to Wrap a Knife Handle
Mostly we can see that handle of a knife get loose or may detach or may disfigure. For keeping a knife all fine and also for a new look, wrapping your knife handle is a good option. But how to wrap a knife handle?
You can wrap your knife handle with leather lacing, leather material, paracord, etc. Leather material is tough to manage as wrapping, but it is a good wrap for your knife handle. Paracord enhances the resemblance of the knife. But leather lacing is better for durability as well as its appearance.
Preparation of leather string
Soaking the leather is important because then the string will become soft, and you can easily work with it. Cut a length as your knife handle.
- Soak the leather string in the water. Soak it till it gets it’s color deeper.
- 9.55 mm wide string is suitable for wrapping knife handle.
- Take the string, which length is four times larger than the handle of your knife. If you want, you can give the shape as you want.
Wrapping the handle of the knife
Start wrap from one end of the handle. It’s better to start it beneath the knife blade. Use heavy tape for attaching the string to the handle. Then twist it around the handle from the top and do it tightly. When you started wrapping, tape the string from the top also so the string is not become displaced. Twist the lacing in one full circling. Apply much tension or force to the cord when wrapping.
Otherwise, it will not be in a particular position on the handle. Continue to wrap around the handle from top to bottom in the same process. And keep the tension the same on it. Stop twisting when 1 to 2 inches of handle remaining. The tape should also wind with the string and stop as the string winding is stopped.
- Tape wrapping around leather and the knife handle should repeat several times so it is secure.
- Away from giving much tension to separate the leather and the tape. But tension on the cord should never be less.
- Make sure the first rotation is covering the tape which is attached to the handle.
- Rotate the lace just in one direction from the starting till finishing. There should be no gaps in between the rotations.
Tie a knot
After finishing winding, tie a knot tightly so that the wrapping you have made around the handle is secure. The knot is in the base of the handle. Place your thumb on the unknotted lacing at the base edge of the handle. Then weave the lacing beneath the last rotation. Do it again and again until the knot reaches the bottom side.
- Use your other hand when you are weaving the tail of the string. This is because it is necessary to stick the lacing at the edge.
- Make the knot that it will firm.
Related article: 5 Steps to Maintain Your Kitchen Knife
Trimming excess leather
If there remains excess lacing at the tail, then you can cut or trim it. Another option is you can make a loop which you can use later for your wrist. For this, the tail has to have a longer extra portion.
- You can make a loop if the string is 1 foot or more long.
- Trimming should not affect the whole wrapping.
Drying the leather
As the leather was wet, drying it is necessary. You can dry it naturally or in other ways. By drying, leather shrinks, and the wrap has become stiff on the knife handle. After drying, the knife will be ready to use.
- Avoid drying by the side of the fire.
So, how to wrap a knife handle is no more a problem or confusing.
Final verdict
Wrapping a knife handle can protect handles from getting early breaking or loosening. Sometimes some knife handles don’t behave friendly with our hand. So wrapping can be the solution to all the troubles. And for escaping from troubles, you need not search for how to wrap a knife handle. You can easily do it yourself by this method which is easy as well as effective.
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