Does a hidden tang work well with synthetic materials?

B

blades-and-hammers

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Dec 10, 2016
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i am working on a 10 inch chefs knife with a beefier profile than most and i was considering handle materials available to me. i was thinking purple heart but seeing that it may be considered toxic, it might not be the best idea. Ive been considering using synthetic materials such as kirinite or a recycled block of HDPE and doing a hot molding around the tang as opposed to an epoxy. is this a viable technique? how would you securely fit synthetic materials to a hidden tang?
 
I would stay away from burning in a tang, especially with those materials you listed. You where woried about toxic wood how about burnt plastic? To me burning in a tang is the lazy way to to go about it. Yes I know it has been done historically but it was done right. I don’t know all the details but if I remember correctly the tang hole was fitted with a core of soft wood like pine. The tang hole was shaped to almost fit the tang and then the tang was heated and driven home. So in this exzample it was a much more time intensive process then just drilling a holl and jamming a red hot tang into it. So with that said I would 100% use epoxy. I would be cautious if your going to use the HDPE as I’m not sure how well epoxy will stick to it. And when it comes to kirinite I have no comments as I do not like that material, and personally do not think it belongs any where near a knife let alone as handle material. I wish you luck, just a little tip for the future. If your considering doing somthing becaus it saves you time there is a good chance it’s not correct.
 
i agree that the burning of a tang slot isnt a viable technique. HDPE is capable of melting around 300 degrees Fahrenheit. what i was thinking of doing is heating it to a moldable state and inlaying the tang in it.
 
Inlay could work. I think rather than melting, soften enough to press onto the tang. (Tang of course being barbed or similar) Using some kind of press and support for holding handle shape against excessive distortion. Then finish shaping after everything has cooled down.
Otherwise, get set up to injection mold. Whats the more usual method manufacturing thermoplastic handles.
 
I don't know why you'd even consider HDPE for a knife handle. It's incredibly useful for some things but nothing about it lends itself to making a decent handle in my opinion. It's not very stiff. It's not very hard. It has poor adhesion qualities. It's plain and typically only available in minimal color choices.

If you were casting or molding stamped production knives meant to go through a dishwasher in a commercial kitchen, ok. Otherwise there are far better choices.
 
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