In my search for a new camping knife, I realised I could save money (and learn new skills) if I bought a blade blank and made my own handle.

The Bushlore knife from Condor is one of the most popular fixed blade bushcraft knives, so I was pleased to learn it was available as a blade blank.

Pine Mockup

I make a rough mockup of the handle using scrap pine and pinned it in place with some dowel. This allowed me to whittle it whilst constantly checking the grip in my hand for a good fit.

Spalted Beech

Once I was happy with the shape, I bought a nice bookmatched pair of kiln dried spalted beech offcuts from a cabinetmaker. The special brass bolts were new to me. They are called Corby fasteners and can be filed smooth once tightened so that screwdriver slot disappears – very satisfying. The holes required a step drill bit.