G10/micarta pins… peening?

Or....just rough up the g10 pin stock with some sandpaper and glue it up with quality epoxy. For pins and tubes that aren't to be peeled, I countersink a shallow bit on the INSIDE hole of the handle scales. Provides a glue reserve that won't get ground through.
This sounds like the best method that doesn't require half a days labor.
 
This sounds like the best method that doesn't require half a days labor.
But the original question seemed to be more in the spirit of getting a mechanical bond as opposed to a chemical/adhesive bond with G10 pins. I think it would be easy and fairly quick to counterbore the pin holes and hide peened metal pins under a G10 or micarta plug. Not sure why you would want to other than adding a color contrast and/or making it easier to keep the handle from being proud around the pins. Those are the only reasons other than bushcrafters trying to avoid freezing their knives to their hands in the winter I’ve ever heard of for using composite pins anyway.

I just think it would be pretty easy to get the “best” of both worlds if one were inclined to do so.
 
it's not uncommon in knife making to locate pins or fasteners under inlays, which is ultimately what a fake pin would be
 
I countersink the tang holes as well. Gives a little more meat to the epoxy to adhere to the pins. I rough up all pins with 150 grit paper as well to give them something to stick to. I've made some super thin knives (1/8" scales) an i've cut grooves into those to make sure they don't go anywhere. that goes for pins make of g10, micarta, and metal.
 
I just realized what the subject was. Yes, I chamfer all holes in the tang and underside of scales. This is especially important for metal bolsters. If you don't. the bolster will rise off the tang.
 
Here is a video of a guy making a pin-less g10/Micarta handle. He does a two layer scale, bolting the bottom layer to the tang then overlaying the top layer showing no pins.

 
I didn’t see anywhere on there where he finished the front of the scales and they certainly looked rough while he was shaping the handle. Also didn’t see how he aligned them so they were flush on the front and rear. Seems like you would need some hidden alignment pins to get all of that right and tight before glue up. Tapering the front of the scales or having a tapered tang would make all of this difficult as well.

I have a few oddball blanks I’m working on right now. I might tinker with a few hidden pin ideas on one or two of them.
 
I like hidden pins quite a lot. Very handy.
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