Put Handle on Draw Gauge Blade?

[AlamoJoe2002]

I'm learning about my Draw Gauge. I'm cutting 12-14 ounce straps from a side of skirting. I read a great tutorial from Bruce Johnson's Web-page. I'm going to try the grip he demonstrated in pictures on my next cut. He emphasizes safety and the dangers of this cutting tool.

Has anyone put a handle on the typical blade available. I bought a reworked and rounded off blade from Bruce and it shaves hair...however, it still takes me two hands to pull thru the skirting. I'm thinking a handle on the blade will make it easier when I strop it as apposed to clamping it in a pair of needle nose vice grips. 

Joe

[strafe]

On 11/24/2013 at 7:47 PM, bruce johnson said:

The old Blanchards are nice knives and well worth the effort. I start off with whatever grit I think will get me to even with the bottom of the pits. Then I scrub out the grit pattern with a finer grade, go to a finer grade from there until the grit patterns are all but gone. Somewhere in there I set the edge bevel and taper I want. Then I go to polishing compounds on buffing wheels to get a final shine (black then green for me). After that I go back and do my final edge sharpening, then stropping off the burr. I have to be in a "zone" to clean up knives. If I am preoccupied, tired, or in a hurry to just do something it isn't going to be knives. I figure the average knife takes me about 3-4 hours. Some of the really hard steels like a Rose knife can have 4-8 hours in it.

Hi Bruce, 

What would you recommend regarding oiling the handle on these old Blanchard-knives? 
 

Edited November 18, 2022 by strafe

[bruce johnson]

I use boiled linseed oil for most wooden handles. Occasionally on hammers I’ll use a recipe of BLO, beeswax, and mineral spirits 

[bruce johnson]

Joe,

   Bill Buchman put handles on the draw gauge blades he made. I've attached pictures of some.