Yeah, I think that's a bit much too, kinda like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer. Maybe that's something you could try as a last resort. You might consider wrapping the entire handle area with thread, from just above the crack all the way down to the same distance below the grip. Then stick on your shelf plate and leather handle over the wrappings. I did that on a board bow that kept popping off the wood I'd glued onto it to build up the handle area. I used 50-lb test braided dacron trolling line for that, and it never budged again.