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Munk, Yes, as you say, no matter how well made a half tang is, it's more or less temporary. It's not a matter of if, but of when. But on the flip side of that coin, there is also the "relative" ease of rehandling. One could "in theory" rehandle a half tang while in the field. It might look like crap, and it might not perform like the original, but it could be done with little more than the karda. ("in theory").--I'm trying to stress the "in theory".

As for forums, that's what makes them great. The diversity allows for a whole host of different opinions and views on just a single topic. And barring someone breaking a forums rules, pretty much anything can be discussed. (within reason of course). The whole idea, in my eyes, is to grown and learn from each other. It's great. It's almost like a type of school. You pick a topic that interests you, find a forum that covers it, and enroll (register), sit back, converse with people of a like mind, and see how much you learn. They're great!!!


mike
 
Well, you should be able to stick a chunk of wood to make a handle over what was previously a full tang about as easy as a half, shouldn't you?



munk
 
Munk, Well, with all the heartache that Dave's gone through in rehandling his siru, I'm not sure I'd want to try a full tang in the field. The reason I said that about half tang, is that it wouldn't take any tools to get the handle off. The full tang design would requite tools or a whole lot of prying on your karda/ chakmak.

mike
 
Tangs are tangs, many are different, all of 'em mostly work. All this discussion, full tang this, half tang that, has summoned up an image from the murky depths of my reptilian brain.
tang.jpg

"TANG, it's what the astronauts drink"

Sending e-mail on scramaseax, ancestral knife of my people. :D


Sarge

edited to add: should be a good knife for lopping appendages off of zombies, and chasing away the haints come Halloween :D
 
Ahhh Tang. Conjures up memories of Bahrain. Go to the little mini mart on the pier, and choose from no less than 20 some flavors of tang. (talk about getting off topic).LOL

mike
 
Mike,
Only if one insisted upon peening the end of the tang.

People who remember Tang ads are getting old.


I recall most of the Oscar Myer weener song....


munk
 
Well, obviously if you wanted to peen the tang, you would need a hammer of some sort, but how would you get the tang through the new handle. I guess you could burn it through. But then you need fire. But if I remember correctly, Dave had one he** of a time getting the keeper and all off the end of his siru. (because it had been peened).

I guess in the end, both full and half tang could be rehandled in the field, but it would "in theory" be much easier to rehandle a half tang. Personally I'd rather not find out how difficult it is, but I've got a half tang, and it is inevitable. But who knows, maybe I'll get lucky.

mike
 
takes me about 5 minutes to "de-handle" a khukuri....



and then around 4-6 hours to put a new one on....:(
 
Dan, Is that with the boiling it in water method? Dave had a he** of a time with that too. (maybe his siru just didn't want a new handle). But the 4-6 hours to rehandle would put a hurt on you in the field. Especially if you needed your kukri. (good point, always bring 2 :thumbup: :D )

mike
 
Uhhh.....no, that's with the "bandsaw" method....:D :eek: :p


If I plan on saving the handle, then it takes longer.


But usually, I grind off the peened part of the tang, then pry off the buttplate with a chisel. If it's full tang, I run the bandsaw down both sides of the tang - pops right off. If it's hidden tang, I use a heat-gun and heat up the bolster on "high heat", then start prying it off. (again, not saving the bolster) After that, I can heat up the tang/laha pretty easy and the handle slides off. Oila!
 
Ohh, ok. Yeah, I guess the bandsaw would make the full tang a little easier. I certainly wouldn't want to try to rehandle one of those in the field. Even if it was possible. (I'm not sure what you'd use for rivets).

So, does the heat gun work better/ faster than the boiling water?

mike
 
Oh yeah...the rehandle-in-the-field part...

Hidden Tang:

Stick the broken handle in a fire and burn it off.

Then find a soft, green wood and "burn the tang hole". Easier yet would be to split a piece of wood in half, mortise out a spot for the tang and then lash the handle together with some twine or rope.


This sounds like a fun challenge.....I'm going to start a new thread - I'm really interested in you guys' ideas about this....
 
the Heat gun is hotter/faster - burns at around 1100 F. Can be had at Harbor Freight for $10. Everybody here should have one. Tons of uses.
 
Just for the record, my rehandling job would've gone much faster if:

- I hadn't insisted on saving everything, including the old handle.
- I'd had something besides a Sawz-All for cutting the new wood.
- I'd had a drill press tall enough to drill the new handle.
- I'd had a bit long enough to drill the new handle.
- I'd had the right sized bit.
- I'd left the damned bolster alone and not tried to "de-habaki" it.
- All the tools were in the same room, and not fifty yards (and one storey) apart.

90% of the pain was from not having the proper tools to do the job. (The other 10% was melting the laha.)

Even without the right tools, should I ever have to do it again I'd expect it to be much easier, now that I know what to expect.
 
Yeah, I guess it'll always be slower going your first time around. I wouldn't even want to try as I don't have all the necessary tools. I'm sure once you've rehandled as many knives and kuks as Daniel Koster, it's not too difficult.

mike
 
yes - the first time I did one, I was a big-time fraidy-cat....now it's old hat. I still don't have the right tools for the job, but fortunately I do now know how to use what I've got. :rolleyes:
 
I didn't get the YCS...but I would have if I had seen it in time. Beautiful...
 
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