Minimum Usable Dimensions

My Promise: Artisan-Crafted Quality & Unique Beauty

 

Every set of knife scales I offer is an individually crafted piece of functional art, created by me, entirely by hand. I combine natural and manmade materials to craft pieces that are beautiful and of the highest quality.

Because of this individual, handmade process, my scales are not precision components. You will find slight variations between sets, and even within an individual pair, with respect to exact length, width, thickness, and appearance. This is the hallmark of a truly custom, unique item, not a flaw!

 

Understanding 'Minimum Usable Dimensions'

 

To make sure you get exactly what you need for your project, I provide the 'Minimum Usable Dimensions' for each set of scales.

What does this mean?

  1. I measure only the good material. The listed dimension indicates the smallest, continuous area you can use for your handle layout.

  2. I exclude defects. I actively exclude any chipped corners, sunken areas, or portions thinner than the listed minimum thickness when taking this measurement.

In short: The scales themselves may be physically larger than the listed dimension, but the 'Minimum Usable Dimension' is my guarantee of the material you can work with.

 

Why I Leave the Extra Material

 

You might notice my scales aren't always perfect, squared-up rectangles, and I do this intentionally to give you maximum material and flexibility.

  • More Material, More Options: Early on, I often trimmed off every tiny "bad spot." I quickly learned this often resulted in a scale that was just too short for a maker's needs, even though the defect I removed wouldn't have been used anyway.

  • Your Material, Your Choice: Now, I simply square them up with a bandsaw and sand the faces enough to reveal the pattern. By giving you the most material possible, you have maximum flexibility for your layout. For example, if a scale is 6" long but has a 1/4" chip on one corner, I will list the length as .

 

Notes With Respect to Thickness

 

You may find that some scales are a little thicker on one end than the other. I list the smaller of the two dimensions as the guaranteed minimum.

I've considered milling them down for perfect uniformity, but many makers appreciate having the full thickness for their cutoffs. Since scales are often larger than needed for a handle, the extra material is often used for creating lanyard beads, jewelry, or keychains. So, I flatten the 'backside' (the side that mounts to the tang) but otherwise leave all the available thickness for you!

Guaranteed Suitability: While these are not meant to be precision components, they are guaranteed to be suitable for high-quality knife or tool handles.

 

My Personal Guarantee

 

I take immense pride in my work. If you receive your scales and are in any way disappointed, please reach out! I will personally work with you to make sure you are happy, whatever it takes.