How to Make Knife Handle Mosaic Pins

In this video, knifemaker Walter Sorrells shows how to make mosaic pins, a type of decorative pin used to hold knife handles together. The process is very simple, requires no special tools and can add a great custom touch to any knife.
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[@andrewwilson8317]

Hi Walter,had a crazy idea inspired by this video. I twisted six brazing rods into a tight helix and epoxied this into a brass tube. When cut I got an amazing pattern of six commas wrapping around each other. Going to keep experimenting!

[@BoomLover1000]

That's not crazy, that's creative!

[@bobbyhempel1513]

Sounds cool.

[@andrewwilson8317]

A great video,thank you. Made some for myself out of every bits of rod I can get,brass,bronze,titanium,copper,aluminium,stainless steel and even some silver! Even found some small hexagonal brass tubing.

[@clintdickens1]

of the billion videos on knife making yours are without a doubt the absolute most professional productions. Your teaching attends to details but not overwhelming. Thanks a kanobie!

[@rastabilly]

I am a beginner knife maker who is just starting out making my own mosaic pins. Your vid was very informative and has helped me push forward with using these in my own knives. Thanks for posting, really getting a lot out of your vids, nice work!

[@LBCAndrew]

If you took those jewelers wires and lay them on a flat surface, you can use a flat piece of wood to roll them perfectly straight so they'd look a lot better in these applications.

[@glennlawrie-smith8570]

Hey Walter... An idea here. I used to do some work with epoxy and syringes too, and the way I filled the syringes was with homemade pastry bags. A 4X4 sheet of wax paper to mix on, roll it up into a cone and fold over the open end, then snip off the pointy end. You can now fill your syringe, or if your epoxy is fluid enough, just use the mini pastry bag. And awesome work.

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

Glenn Lawrie-Smith Love that idea. I'm gonna try it!

[@bownzthewiser2087]

You know you're awesome when the best blacksmith says he likes your idea

[@docdevin1]

You can mix in a zip lock bag by kneading the two parts and then just cut off a corner of the bag too. Not my idea but works very well too.

[@astrorafhan]

mr sorrels your vids are some of the best blade vids on the web, i just love these metal working techniques

[@futuresonex]

As always, great video! It's amazing just how much a set of mosaic pins with improve the looks of even the plainest knives!!!

[@cjcook7279]

just saw you on forged in fire. I knew I recognized your voice! I was rooting for you, the Japanese blade style was beautiful!

[@edwardarquette3884]

Oh wow! It's so simple, and I never even thought to do this! Thanks for the information! Great video!

[@TungstenCarbideTempe]

Guys my 2cents: I desolve epoxy with acetone - making it more viscous( liquid) thus helping get into tight places.

[@beckerforge]

Awesome-- thanks a ton for the video. Very helpful; I had no idea about those color pigments.

[@DravoDemon]

You my good sir, are a great teacher and Master Bladesmith. One day soon hopefully I'll be able to purchase one of your blades that way I can pass it on to my son so he can pass it on to his son and then his son and so on and so forth. I'd be damn proud and honored to do so.

[@PiranOfficial]

Just tried it, I'll see tomorrow what is the outcome. Used more liquid resin and quick tip - I taped the pin around so it's not covered in resin - I can use it straight on my handles :)

[@grapeape76]

This is a great tutorial, thanks for posting it. You could probably save syringes by using some silicone tubing that's larger than the outer diameter of your pin tube and siphon epoxy up through the pin into the tube, then trim off the portion that's been epoxied.

[@cesaralvarez5982]

Excellent video, Thank you. I notice that some of the smaller diameter wires were a bit crooked, I straight them with a piece of plywood about an inch wider than the length of the wire, and about a foot long, then on a smooth surface I roll the wire with the plywood on top. Please keep the videos coming.

[@jodyfree953]

Thanx for this Walter! 💯

[@evangoodman5457]

I like using a "table top" epoxy resin and graphite powder. It's a lot runnier, polishes up better, and the longer cure time allows air bubbles to work their way out. Firmly attaching the mosaic tube in a vertical orientation with the bottom sealed to something that produces strong vibrations definitely improves the finished product. Leave an inch or two of empty outer tubing for a reservoir of epoxy. Vibratory motors can be purchased on line, or you can just strap the tube to your buffer or drill press I guess. Just don't "borrow" your girlfriend's back massager, she'll get pissed. Adding metal powder or shavings produces a pretty cool effect, as long as the metal is fairly reflective in powder form. Worked poorly with MEKP-catalyzed resins versus the 1:1 resins. Molten pewter is also pretty fun. Nickel silver shines way better than aluminum rod stock. Enamel is basically powdered borosilicate glass with added color, and is clearly the best filler appearance wise but cutting and polishing it is VERY difficult and it needs about 1300F in the forge IIRC, which will melt aluminum. I never really got the process wired but even my slapdash results came out pretty well. If I made mosaic pins for a living I'd go with enamel, or a phenolic resin like bakelite.

[@2birdsmetalworks364]

Walter is a genius! He always looks so stoned haha

[@noskoffserg]

Thanks for the idea!

[@cultclassic999]

Inspiring video! Thanks for sharing.

[@bwhip]

I dry fit the pin assembly and then suck low viscosity epoxy up into it with a brake bleeder pump attached to the pin with a length of Tygon tubing. Then I jam the pins vertically into lumps of modelling clay, so they stand upright while they cure. I use System 3 or Raka epoxy, but West works too. If you warm the epoxy a little, it lowers the viscosity even more and makes it runnier, so it fills all the voids better (but it also shortens the pot life).

[@KimP0612]

Goooosh! Lol I’m sure I’ve used that to describe a patients wound in the past.

[@deathhamster_2213]

I didn't have any fancy pigments so i used powdered charcoal and various crushed up red clay I can find locally and got pretty much the same results.

[@-Sean_]

Nice editing!

[@petertenev6873]

very nice video,thanks alot :)

[@chrisjohnson6482]

Has anybody ever told you that you sound a lot like Brad Pitt's character in Inglorious Basterds? Great video btw

[@williammoore8129]

Chris Johnson I want my Nazi scalps

[@alchemykitchen777]

any tips on cleaning the syringe after use, or do you just use a new one each time?

[@volcanowb]

So cool!

[@bigcathornworks5802]

That's badass. I know my next project

[@stevenparker3608]

Hey Walter, any idea why i cant find any pins larger than ⅜". i am looking for something larger around 1" or so. is it a construction issue? or an needs issue? Thank. Good video.

[@tech33012]

Expanding upon your idea, (Given enough time, effort and epoxy) You can essentially make a drink coaster out of this. What are your opinion on this?

[@nunoricardo3119]

Hi Walter, first let me tell you that I love your channel, I'm a big fan.One question: I made the mosaic pins like you showed but when finishing with sand paper the colored epoxy stains the wood, any advice on that? Thank you so much, keep on the good work!

[@aguynamedmike77]

Great video. Very informative. Thank you for taking the time to make this. I like how that at 8:20 ish mark you claim that it is intentional lol. I would have done the same thing. It's a guy thing.. Keep em coming Brother!

[@steelandsoul1987]

thank you!

[@OsborneExploration]

Awesome

[@aaronnickless1706]

Is liquid metal filler good for mosaic pins?

[@thecraftaddict2003]

Awesome!

[@joepops5681]

This may sound like a dumb question but just getting started with knife making... do you peen Mosaic pins like a regular brass pin?

[@trollforge]

Walter the in video links don't work for mobil devices. Could you please start including them in the description? Excellent video!

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

Thanks for the feedback. Will do!

[@violentinstincts]

2:11 hammer - 1 walter's thumb - 0

[@brandysigmon9066]

Take a long slender stick such as a bamboo skewer and mix the epoxy in the syringe. On a large syringe such as the one used in this video, the epoxy will disperse right into it.

[@mauromalatesta]

sup, nice vid! you should try guitar strings, the come in different colors and gauges!

[@lolking3144]

Would be nice if I could make one with like a brass star in the center of a copper or steel pipe... That gonna take some thinking...

[@jae878]

You have probably already tried this but.... What if you fill the tube with epoxy then with one end plugged push your rods in from the open end. That would help eliminate air pockets. Thx for the videos.

[@nikfeo]

Очень интересно, спасибо!

[@marcusWKG]

Great!!!

[@rayminazzi2065]

how about, stainless tube, gooshe in some epoxy and what ever else you want, thread the outside and make loveless bolts

[@KimP0612]

Is that parchment paper you’re using?

[@joeblow8771]

what's a good epoxy

[@ajohnson153]

if you know someone with a laser cutter you could have them cut out some shapes (a stag or other animals) into some round pieces of metal, then come up with some sort of contraption to squeeze polymer clay through it so that it comes out in that shape. Then you can make mosaic pins with the shape in the middle.

[@rogertbutler5581]

Thanks Walter for another great video. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to find these tubes? Round or Square? What are they used for other than mosaic pins? The rods, I think I can find but the tubes seem harder to source. Thanks for any suggestions.

[@rogertbutler5581]

Dewey Rayburn Will do. That's great. Thanks very much.

[@badsmith7527]

Question on the epoxy syringe. You put the pigmented epoxy in the top, but would it be easier to suck up the epoxy through the end of the needle by suction?

[@LitoGeorge]

No.

[@jdtremblay2331]

my head just exploded ; I will make a bunch with coat hangers to practice then I am off to metal supermarkets to buy a bunch of stuff!

[@mythdweller]

I've been wondering for a while now, and this was the answer. However, I do have a further question: doesn't epoxy crack while peening?

[@rippinrheaume242]

You that guy on forged in fire

[@tim_hasi9]

Material?

[@thegaryandalshow]

Will you ever do knife giveaways?

[@brycen35]

What do you put on the blade to make it not rust

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

wierdguy35 I just wash them immediately after use, then oil with vegetable oil. Realistically, though, carbon steel knives will always discolor over time, eventually developing a relatively even gray patina (if properly cared for).

[@affi313]

Dear plz tell me what do you mix in epoxy as colore ???

[@knh62903]

watch the video

[@godssoldier101]

your videos are informative and very well made, but imo the electric guitar clip every scene change is obnoxious.

[@rhiannonangell6828]

Used ShepherdSurvives handbooks and learn about with no problems.

[@nolangaudreau]

Are you syringes one time use because of this? Or is there a good way to clean the epoxy off?

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

If you clean them out immediately with solvent., you can get most of the residue out and re-use.

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

A bunch of different things will work including lacquer thinner, paint thinner, acetone, maybe even isopropyl alcohol. All epoxies are not the same so some may respond better to one than another.

[@UnstoppableTramp]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGLKaZWvnL14nbs

[@SusseBo]

Why use nickel? It seems to me to be a shame, as so many have nickel allergies and it is easy to develop.

[@mikezeke7041]

What about solder?

[@mikezeke7041]

Instead of epoxy?

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

Mike Zeke Been meaning to try that actually. If I do (and it comes out okay), I'll make a video about it.

[@mikezeke7041]

cool

[@aubreymorris9183]

Crazy question from a novice. How do you peen the scales on without shattering the epoxy? Because without the peen the pin isn't really holding the scale to the tang so much as preventing the scale from rotating off the tang. At least as I understand such things. Dosen't the peen actually lock the scales on mechanically? So you are 100% dependent on epoxy, that fails quite often especially if vibration or impact is introduced, which in my head is VERY RISKY. Pretty sure isn't strong in this case. I'll take function over form every single time, sorry not helpful.

[@Rakku]

What happended to your thumb?

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

A screw gave way when I was tightening the tool rest on my lathe. I've beat up my body in a great many ways, but this was one of the most painful things I've done in a long time. Finally had to drill a hole in my thumbnail with the drill press to relieve the pressure. I'm going to do a new KZbin Channel pretty soon: "Tips for the Home Surgeon." Next video....Dead Cheap Brain Surgery.

[@Rakku]

Walter Sorrells Nice one, it looks pretty bad. I wouldnt have the courage to drill a hole in my nail with a drill press! Get well soon!

[@mcdermottcustoms4369]

Walter try heating up a sewing needle till red hot with a lighter and carefully make a small hole in your nail works great

[@ohheyitsloaf1663]

Mc Dermott Customs i dropped a desk on my toe and the same thing happend for me. a doctor had to drill into my nail and it hurt like FUCK!

[@louiealvarez1356]

Mc Dermott Customs gsgjjzj

[@Doingitrightplumbing]

I'm sorry I just couldn't stop staring at your thumbnail I bet that hurt pretty bad

[@chavirawiser5010]

o see that... I made it too. Using stodoys handbooks :)

[@vadymrodionov6098]

I made it myself thanks to woodprix website.

[@happycampersminnesota7526]

Do these get peened?

[@romeliapolly1212]

It's good to see Woodprix have new instructions to save my money and energy to build it.

[@shantahsieh4833]

I bought instruction from woodprix and I build it very very cheap.

[@johnhelton457]

I know Woodglut has the best woodworking plans.

[@hafzamacie8858]

Mine works too. I used the Stodoys plans and performed it without any problems.

[@warpath8089]

gooshes out... we'll accept it

[@shantahsieh2877]

This time I will do it manually with the help of Stodoys plans designs.

[@daveh777]

Mosaic pins are garbage because there is no way to peen them without destroying them. A knife with handles that are only epoxied on is garbage because eventually the epoxy will degrade and the scales will fall off. May be 10 years, may be 20 or even 50 or 100, but eventually that epoxy will degrade and the blade will need to be rescaled the correct and permanent way.

[@DJRoksor]

A mosaic pin has to be symmetrical. - DJRoksor, 2016.

[@workshoppoland557]

Co ty kurwa robisz? Zachowujesz się jak ułomny :/

[@akkayalarnserdar3184]

ok, good job but i have a question for you. Why you talking like farting?

[@monkpato]

Why are you a jackass?