Bend through handle.

[sharpend60]

I was thinking about starting a bend through the handle board bow like the one laid out in TBB 4 except with slightly re-flexed tips.
But I don't like the idea of grabbing a square-ish handle.

Can I build it up to a more bulbous shape with rawhide (I have some) or leather?
My only concern is preventing the handle from bending.

I would think either of these options would be flexible enough.
What do ya'll with me experience think?

[otis.drum]

why does the handle have to be 'square-ish'?

i make bend throughs and round the handles to make them comfortable. even give very subtle shaping to fit the contours of the hand.

[George Tsoukalas]

No, if your handle is bending you can't narrow it unless you compensate by adding wood to it. So your board is probably 3/4 by 1.5. Handle bends. If you wish to shape it then you can keep those proportions. So if you want to shape it a bit making it 1 x 1.25 thick. Still bends. But you can shape it a little. Jawge

[Gordon]

Yes you can build up the handle using rawhide or leather - I've done that many times. But as George said, you must be very careful not to narrow the handle area too much if you are going to let it bend.

[sharpend60]

I wasn't gonna narrow the handle section at all thus the want for some other way to make it more comfortable.

[bcbull]

get some dr scholls  foot pads  cut em to fit glue  em on  then wrap ur handel  works very well  brock

[Pat B]

I use heavy shoe leather back and belly and shape it to be comfortable. You can use ant flexable material for this like leather, cork or rawhide