Mojo — I’ve done it twice with smaller Helle blades (unbelievably cheap for the quality) — once with antler, the other with osage scrap from bow-building. It’s really easy in either case: For “slab” handles cut your wood, antler, whatever, to the length of the handle then shape it (I use a fine-grit belt sander for the rough work), buff the handle steel with fine-grit paper, and glue handles in place (I use two-tube epoxy. That’s it. To use a solid piece of antler cut it to the right length and drill a hole down what will be the top end just big enough to accept the blade tange with a little tapping pressure. Fill in the hole around the tang with epoxy. Bingo. Real knife makers will no doubt scoff that the crudeness of this method, but for an amateur it’s easy, fast, requires no special tools, and looks and works great. I still have an old Shrade that I removed the original handle from and replaced with a section of antler from my first-ever elk, (1981). Can’t count the critters I’ve skint with it over the decades and it’s still in fine shape, though set aside since I got the Helle. Not much to lose in trying.
