Handle stuck on hidden tang

R

running bird

Joined
Sep 29, 2015
Messages
501
so I was working on fitting a handle on my next hidden tang knife, now the tang is stuck in the handle.

The tang slot was very tight and I pushed a bit much trying to fit the blade in ( stupid mistake #1)

Then while trying to get the tang off I sliced my hand (stupid mistake #2). This is the first time I've ever had to get stitches and first time I got cut by a knife (I've been pretty safe for almost 3 years). Damn cut resisted gloves didn't help much, the blade wasn't even sharp. I geuss with enough force it still cuts ( at least I know the blade geometry is good).

Does anyone know any tips to help fix this problem?

I tried putting the blade down word in a vise and pulling up on the handle, but that lead to stitches...

The wood is American Cesnut burl so damaging the wood is not an option. If pictures are needed let me know and I can post them later.

Thanks for the help,
Kevin
 
I can't help you as I've not experienced this problem. Hope you heal well.

Your wording about the type of wood used intrigued me, so I looked it up. The American Chestnut tree has quite a history. The wiki was a very interesting read.
 
That "last remaining stand" of 2,500 trees is right in my area. Always news about whether this virus or that treatment is successful or promising to treat the blight.

I'd love to personally "thank" the individuals who decided to import Asian Chestnuts, Asian beetles, Asian carp... Considering they were intentional.
 
Put it in the freezer overnight.

When you take it out it will warm a different rates and that should allow you to get the handle off
 
It is very tragic what happened to the trees, hard to imagine that it could have possibly been wiped out.

I got mine from reclaimed wood. My father and his friend do carpentry and make tables and such from reclaimed wood. This American chesnut burl was from some floorboards from a barn in north Jersey, built in the early 1800's. Whenever people around us plan to take down a barn on their property then call up my dad and sell him the wood.

Most of the wood I use if 150-200+ years old.

This handle being stuck makes me extremely nervous, I can't imagine ruining this wood.

I'll try the freezer tip when I get home and update you all. The handle is two scales glued together (similar to Japanese sword handle construction), with the glue separate from the cold? I used wood glue for the wood not epoxy
 
Put The knife in the freezer for an hour.
Take it out and out the blade in a vise with leather pads on the jaws.
Blow on the handle with a hairdryer or heat gun to warm it a bit. ( or just let sit there for a few minutes and give a pull every so often)
Pull handle off tang.
 
if the freezer doesnt work, the only other thing I can think to do is to "persuade" it off.

clamp it in a vice, hold a soft peice of wood against the tang and tap with a mallet. you might have to get creative with two peices of wood on either side of the blade and a cross peice.
 
I had a chestnut here and it tried to survive growing to 15' or so then dying off. New sprouts appeared fro the stump grew , died off etc.
Now we have emerald ash borer, wooly adelgid [hemlock] and the fight goeson !
 
if none of those work, put the blade in a vice protected with leather. put a C clamp also protected by leather on the handle ( near the pommel) and tap the c clamp lightly upward with a hammer.
 
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