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Post by twin-rabbit on Jun 4, 2020 23:42:36 GMT
Can anyone point me in the direction of a video (or any instructional resource, really) that explains how wire wrapping a fluted grip is done? I don't know that I'll ever try it myself, but I just became curious about how it's done. I've been searching and searching on the interwebs, but I can't find a single thing. For the record, I'm talking about the wire wrap that covers the entire grip. Not the style that has a single twisted wire running down a grove on the ridges of the fluted design.
I came across this video, which I found rather interesting.
The guy shows you his method of wire wrapping the grip, unfluted. Then at the end (15:00), he shows exactly what I'm looking for- a wire wrapped spiral fluted handle. He says next time he'll show us how to do that kind, but next time never came... It was literally the only place I have seen Any mention of making a wrapped grip like that, and it is driving me crazy. Is this some kind of trade secret?
And another thing, for anybody who may know; is it really just glue and pressure that holds these wire wraps on?? I'm not in the 'know', but if that's really all that's holding the wrap on, it seems like some moderate use of the sword could easily break the glue and loosen the wires.
If anyone has some inside insight, I'd like to hear it. It seems a common enough thing to see, wire wrapped spiral fluted handles, but mums the word about how it's made, apparently. It's a mystery.
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Post by leviathansteak on Jun 5, 2020 2:15:54 GMT
Ive done partial wire wraps by winding the wire tightly, with superglue underneath. The ends are tucked into holes in the grip. The wire doesnt move when im done.
I think maybe those spiral grips are done by hammering the wrapped wire into the recesses? Im not very sure though.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jun 5, 2020 2:17:30 GMT
I’ve wondered the same. You might write and ask via “That Works” as I don’t see John Mitchell’s address. Perhaps they can help.
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Post by twin-rabbit on Jun 5, 2020 4:00:02 GMT
I’ve wondered the same. You might write and ask via “That Works” as I don’t see John Mitchell’s address. Perhaps they can help. I might have to do that.. It just seems so bizarre to me that something so seemingly, fairly, common is so shrouded in secrecy.. apparently.. What really started this is, I was trying to find out if those spiral fluted, wire wrapped grips are actually comfortable to hold. I am planning a custom rapier, and a wire wrapped, spiral fluted grip like that is something I may consider. But I want to know if it is comfortable to hold, for one. And if the wrapping actually holds up to moderate 'use' (handling/drills/cuts, all that). So my search for answers on how they feel and hold up (which was fruitless) led me to discovering that I can't find a lick of information on how they are actually made. I am rather surprised that I can't find any readily available sources.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jun 5, 2020 12:31:53 GMT
I can't comment on spiral fluting but have one grip with longitudinal fluting with wire wrapping and it's comfortable. That one got my curiosity up as to how they got the wire to lay in those troughs.
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Post by twin-rabbit on Jun 5, 2020 20:42:47 GMT
I can't comment on spiral fluting but have one grip with longitudinal fluting with wire wrapping and it's comfortable. That one got my curiosity up as to how they got the wire to lay in those troughs. I've seen multiple tutorials for that kind of wrap. If I am understanding you correctly. You mean where there is a single wire running, lengthwise, down the raised spine of the flutes, right? I could maybe see putting that on a fancy homemade knife or something, but I really don't like that style at all. Especially for a sword grip. Idk why, but it just bugs me for some reason. Actually, it probably bugs me so much because it's the only thing I've been able to find when I google 'wire wrapping spiral fluted grip/handle' lol.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jun 6, 2020 1:28:36 GMT
A picture is worth a thousand words.
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Post by twin-rabbit on Jun 6, 2020 2:12:40 GMT
A picture is worth a thousand words. Oh, that's what you meant. I completely misunderstood. So, you said you had bee curious about it, did you ever discover how they got the wire wrap securely attached to the shape into the troughs?? It's hard to imagine the wire simply being held securely to shapes like that, or a spiral, simply with glue. It makes a little more sense on a simple handle; adhesive, plus constant tight pressure as you wrap, then hammering the ends into holes. But that method wouldn't explain how it's done with a shaped grip.
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Post by twin-rabbit on Jun 6, 2020 2:19:52 GMT
This is what I thought you were talking about, which I don't like very much.. Attachments:
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Post by twin-rabbit on Jun 6, 2020 2:21:07 GMT
And this is the kind of wrap I'm trying to find out about.. Attachments:
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Zen_Hydra
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Post by Zen_Hydra on Jun 16, 2020 11:11:28 GMT
I can't imagine adhesive not being key to that style of wrap.
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Post by paulmuaddib on Jun 16, 2020 13:30:33 GMT
I’m with Zen on the adhesive being key. And I wonder if they bend the wire with some type of pliers at the depression of the flute. Never held that style of handle but would like to check one out.
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Post by twin-rabbit on Jun 24, 2020 3:06:15 GMT
It seems a common enough style. It isn't hard to find examples of what I'm looking for, that date to at least the 16th century. So was 'glue' really great back then? I don't know what I don't know.. so maybe there's something I don't know. But I really think I would expect a wire wrapped grip to fall apart rather easily under normal handling, if the only thing holding it in place was an adhesive.
This is a mystery that's really bugging me..
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jun 24, 2020 15:31:33 GMT
Me too, but my grip is holding up well.
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