How to Epoxy Bond Sand to a Knife Handle for Improved Grip

As most of you know, fish are slimy and dressing them can be an adventure trying to hold onto while filleting. Most filet knives have plastic handles and once they get slimed they become very slippery. For me the area I needed to improve is the grip for control of the blade when I'm separating the flesh from the skin. Good knife control is crucial for removing all the flesh in one professional filet and leaving all the skin behind. Below is how I accomplished improving the grip/control!

Supplies Needed:

Construction Sand

2 part epoxy, (30 minute set time for adequate mixing and working time and any color you like)

Paste type brush

Alcohol

Sand paper

Instructions:

Sand to roughen the surface of the knifes handle for epoxy adhesion.

Mask off areas you don't want the sand bonded to.

Scrub the handle with alcohol to remove any oils for better epoxy adhesion.

Mix the epoxy about 1/3 of the tubes to be sure you have enough to coat the handle.

Brush a very, very heavy coating of epoxy onto the knifes handle. The depth being same as a sand grain.

Place the knife into the container of sand and bury it with the surrounding sand.

Using your hand/fingers apply firm but gentle pressure to force as much sand evenly into the epoxy coating as you can.

Rotate the handle 90 degrees and bury the handle again and apply pressure like you did with the sides.

Repeat the procedure at least twice to be sure you have embedded as much sand deeply "and evenly" into the epoxy.

Let the knife rest until the epoxy sets.

Do not fool with it until 24 hours have past for the epoxy to cure.

Gently rub or brush off the sand grains the epoxy didn't get to bond in place.

Now try it out!

If you have some bare spots touch it up the same as the above procedure.

Here's the stuff needed.

The sand, $4.00 per 60 lbs.

Here are the steps:

The grooves in this handle I cut in using a Dremel and a rotary burr a couple years ago hoping to increase the grip but they were not much help.

Here the handle is sanded and masked.

The heavy epoxy coating applied.

Out of the sand box coated with sand.

The finished knife left side.

Close up of the left side.

The finished knife right side.

Close up of the right side.

Summary:

This was very easy to do and the grip feels much improved. The sand grains are solidly bonded on and not rubbing off. Can't wait to try it out on some slimy fish!