Full/Partial Tang question

H

hollowdweller

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Sep 22, 2003
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So I got this Villager I was thinking about re doing. I was thinking about rather than putting the same type of handle on it I'd put a more traditional curved handle on it and one that kind of fit my hand better.

I thought it might be easier to do if I made the new handle hidden or partial tang, either by cutting off the end where the handle would make the curve, or by leaving it inside the handle.

My question is if I did this and filled the cavity the tang was in with some acraglass, which seems to set up like iron anyway, would a partial tang done this way really be any weaker than a full tang?
 
Have you considered drawing the tang with a torch and bending it with a hammer to match the curve of your handle?
 
I like rag's idea if you can do it and maintain strength of the metal.

Hollow, I don't think a partial is ever quite as strong as a full tang. But I think the handle will warn you before failure if it is pinned.

It hasn't been five years, but I bet eventually one of my full tang handles will fall apart. My full tang villager handle needed pinning after cracking and I did that.

My thought is these things are to be enjoyed, and one should realize much can be restored, especially the handles, which are really not all that big a deal.




munk
 
heat it carefully....you can do it with a simple plumbers propane torch....then wail on it, or even just bend it in a vise.

Careful not to arc the tang, though....that'll make it a pain to put the handle on.
 
an idea I'm toying around with is this:

Make a stub tang and weld a large threaded rod to it. Then the handle is secured without pins for a cleaner look).
 
Daniel Koster said:
an idea I'm toying around with is this:

Make a stub tang and weld a large threaded rod to it. Then the handle is secured without pins for a cleaner look).
Click to expand...

Do you mean because you would be threading it into the handle? Or do you mean that the glue would go around the threads and hold it better? If you drilled a hole in the tang far enough back to where it wouldn't compromise the structural integrity and then made sure to get some filler in there would that do the same thing??
 
The glue will certainly grip the threaded rod better, and a nut on the end will hold the handle together quite nicely.

Just make sure we understand each other....the tang and threaded rod would be "inline"...that is, parallel, not perpendicular.

I'm not sure drilling the tang for this kind of thing would work how you stated it. (perhaps you meant perpendicular?)

Bowie and sword knifemakers do this all the time. Makes for a strong handle, but you have to be able to cover the nut.

The advantage of the partial stub tang (vs. just having a threaded rod for a tang) is that it will limit twist in the handle material - which is something the acraglas helps with too...
 
Dan?

Sometimes the jargon gets a bit confusing, but in this case...

everytime HD picks it up, there will be a nut on one end. :D


All the best,
 
raghorn said:
Have you considered drawing the tang with a torch and bending it with a hammer to match the curve of your handle?
Click to expand...
That's what I did with my as forged blades only that I got from Bill. The Chainpuri blade's tang was small enough that I was able to bend it without heating it but I broke the Hanuman's tang by hitting on it with a somewhat heavy ballpeen without heating, but it was very substantially heavier too. And I romped on it pretty damned hard as well!!!!:rolleyes:
I finshed the as forged Chainpuri blade with copper fittings and an African Blackthorn Wood handle that is curved.
Bill says it's one of his favorite khuks which means a great deal too me.:D

The problem with an arced tang, like on my Chainpuri is getting the handle drilled to fit the arc on the tang. It is anything but easy but with care and patience it can be done.
And IMO worth the hassle to get a curved handle that fits one's hand!
A curved handle locks your hand into the handle giving a much more secure grip than anyone could ever get with the straight handles.

Too get the arc in the inside of the handle takes careful drilling and judicious work with a small chisel, I used my 1/4" wood chisel I use on my Flutes to get it just right and so that there would be epoxy all around the tang instead of just being up against the wood in places.
I believe the epoxy all around the tang helps to inuslate the shock when chopping.
My Chainpuri is more a weapon than a chopper with its full curved arc on the blade and handle, not as smooth as I wanted it but still beautiful with its somewhat double arcs.:D :cool: :D
 
to go aside for a moment, since Dan has brought it up for the partial, i"ve always thought if I had to replace a handle I'd thread the end of the tang and use a nut, other than hollowdweller, to hold it on.


munk
 
Yvsa,

You have GOT to take a pic of some of these blades you mention and post them!

If you can't yourself maybe get our man Nasty to do it next time he's down your way??
 
Once you get the tang at the ringt angle, couldn't you just make the handle curved, while leaving the tang straight on the inside?

Tom
 
hollowdweller said:
Yvsa,

You have GOT to take a pic of some of these blades you mention and post them!

If you can't yourself maybe get our man Nasty to do it next time he's down your way??
Click to expand...
Okay. I don't know how they will come out today as it's pretty overcast, but I'll try.;)
May be later today, but we'll see.:)

gravertom said:
Once you get the tang at the ringt angle, couldn't you just make the handle curved, while leaving the tang straight on the inside?

Tom
Click to expand...
Tom not if you want the tang centered in the center of the handle and the buttcap.;)
 
gravertom said:
Once you get the tang at the ringt angle, couldn't you just make the handle curved, while leaving the tang straight on the inside?

Tom
Click to expand...

The bonecutters I have are like that. The tang comes out maybe 2/3 the way up the butt of the knife, and instead of a buttcap they just have a diamond shaped keeper. I guess that way you can have the straight tang but somewhat curved handle.
 
Took the pic but then my batteries went instantly dead.:rolleyes: :( After they're charged up a bit I'll see if it indeed took and if so transfer it too my computer and post it.:D

If not I'll take it again and do the same, damned electronic battery needing bastids anyway!!!!:grumpy: ;)

Well it took for what it's worth. As you see I managed to transfer it before the batteries went dead again. I was in a hurry and only partially charged them. I'll try for a better pic when the batteries are fully charged.
 
nice......


You can still have a straight tang. Just need to bury the nut beneath a plate (in a recessed spot in the butt), rather than having it exposed on the end. Tricky at first, but not hard.
 
Daniel Koster said:
nice......


You can still have a straight tang. Just need to bury the nut beneath a plate (in a recessed spot in the butt), rather than having it exposed on the end. Tricky at first, but not hard.
Click to expand...
Yea, but if you don't have a buttcap what you gonna cover the hole up with. On the Chainpuri there isn't room for a buttcap unless it's a full cover like on the Chitlangi and methinks that wouldn't be so easy to make.;)
 
I was thinking if you put a curved handle on a straight tang the vibration of the chops, the way it handled the force, might change for the negative. I simply don't know.



munk
 
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