I collected some beaver chew and driftwood this past season and now I want to play around with some of it. One of the items I want to make are bodkins. Some of the interesting pieces that I have are 6 inches and longer. So, my question is, how long do you guys think is too long for a bodkin to be and still be a practical tool?
Thanks for any input!
Ok, I have a few pics. They do not really do the bodkins justice, but here they are. Thanks for all the input.
You lost me at “beaver chew”. But back on track at “how long …?”
Just because I usually lose things that are right in front of me, thanks to a very messy tying area, I’d say a bodkin handle should be 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 inches. Your size may vary.
Deezel
It should be comfortable in hand and not “overpower” the needle part.
Also if it is going to be inserted in say a steel wool container…not too long so it gets knocked…
The needle portion only needs to be a couple of inches long, but I would say the handle/holder is just a matter of personal choice, based on what you plan to do with it. I really don’t see any need for more than about 5" overall length.
Joe
I think it would depend on how large a person’s hands were. I have several bodkins and the one that feels the most comfortable for me to use has a 1" long needle and a 3" long handle. I like the feel of it and use it 99% of the time.
Don;
The bodkins you’ve made already, are nice looking!! I bit “long” overall for my use, but that’s the fun of “making your own” and YOU’RE using them, I’m not!! I know you looked at quilter’s needles for your “points”, but what did you decide on, finally?
My all time favorite bodkin came out of a high-school biology disection kit. The metal handle is three and a half inches long. The needle is one and one-quarter inches long. The end of the handle has a compression nut that lets you change needles when they become bent or break. BTW, this is the bodkin that’s rolled off my fly tying table and stuck me in the foot several times in the last five or six years. 8T 
I was going to suggest when choosing or making a bodkin handle [or any tool]…it is nice to have some flat surfaces as in a hexagon or square…just so it doesn’t roll.
Duckster,
Way too predictable. No adrenaline rush! Some might also suggest a lip or groove at the edge of the fly tying table. 8T
I have a very old bodkin and one day I was in my wife?s sewing room and noticed a very good looking brass bodkin. She called it a stiletto and it is used to push thick fabric through the foot of the sewing machine.
So, I now have a very nice bodkin. It has a brass case. The top pulls off and is inserted onto the handle to extend the handle for easy use. With the top on, the point is totally covered. It even has a small ring on the end if you wanted to hang it from around your neck.
You would buy this in a fabric store. I found one On Line so you could take a look at it if you wanted. It is called a Brass Stiletto.
Larry
http://www.quiltinaday.com/shoponline/notions_display.asp?i=676
For a close up shot here is another site: