Best method for hidden tang with pommel

D

DHackney

Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Messages
178
Hello folks,

I've been asked to make a couple of hidden tang knives, using sambar stag, with nickel or stainless steel guards and butt caps. What is the best/easiest method for attaching a butt cap/pommel to such a knife? Should I taper the tang down to, say 1/4", and thread it so that the (tapped) butt cap can be screwed on to it? And, should I drill a hole for a pin up closer to the guard?

As always, your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, I read the thread regarding Gib's condition and our earnest prayers are with him and his family.

Best regards,
Dana Hackney
Monument, CO
 
Dana, I have always used the threaded pommel method. I typically silver braze a stainless piece of all-thread or a screw with the head cut off, to the tang. There are various ways to slot the tang and screw to give a mechanical advantage as well as the braze. You can make your pommels fairly thick and use a bottom tap so that the screw does not show. This takes careful prefitting to make sure that all is nice and tight before the glue up. I usually drill through my pommels so that the screw shows, giving the same kind of birds-eye effect as a Loveless bolt. I cut off the screw then sand and buff like normal. If you are leaving a dropped pommel for the back of the handle, you can still do the above. Use NS, stainless, brass or colored spacers as shims to make sure the dropped pommel is in perfect alignment with the guard after it is threaded to the tang.
 
for the valuable info.

Excuse my ignorance, but I'm not sure what is meant by a
"dropped" pommel. Would you mind educating this dummy?

Many thanks,
Dana Hackney
Monument, CO
 
He is referring to a pommel which also forms a lip to stop your little finger from sliding off the handle.

Fox's method is pretty good, and its similar to how I do my hidden-tangs but with the exception that I mig-weld a hardened-steel screw into the tang. I then grind down the sides flat to match the tang width.
 
jhiggins said:
He is referring to a pommel which also forms a lip to stop your little finger from sliding off the handle.
Click to expand...

Yep!

jhiggins said:
Fox's method is pretty good, and its similar to how I do my hidden-tangs but with the exception that I mig-weld a hardened-steel screw into the tang. I then grind down the sides flat to match the tang width.
Click to expand...

I do it Jeff's way sometimes (grinding the sides), especially if I do a stacked leather handle since I buy my leather spacers and they come with rectangular slots. BTW - for strength reasons I only use 1/4" bolts and larger, occasionally 3/8" for larger handles and blades where I want maximum strength. I also only use NF threads because it allows much finer adjustments when cinching up your handle, and because it makes for a finer finish when viewed from the rear of the pommel.

Also, Dana, you can do it the way your originally asked, grind or forge your tang down to size and then thread it. That gives you an integral connection of the threaded portion.
 
Time for another word document. I'll paste in you guy's replies and make a chard copy for the shop!

Thanks again,
Dana
 
On larger knives I use the silver brazed split bolt to the tange and a steel collor I make that is silver brazed to the bottom to the pommel methoud. On smaller knives with a solid handle material like good thick stag I silver braze a flat bar tange looking extention with notches to catch in the epoxy and clamp it up tight with the epoxy to hold everything together. I don't use this methoud if the pommel will be used as a hammer but on light duty knives it works well.
 
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