Hi Mates,
The HI FSK is perfect but the handle is a little big for my hand. I started this project a month ago but until today I was in the mood and could make some progress. Happy to share with you the progress here.
First thing is to grind off the peened tang to open the pommel
Then use a chisel to dig the pommel out
Cover the sharp blade to avoid unwanted cut. I hate doctor and stitches
I used a fiber disc to cut the old rings off
Then use the sanding disc to re-profile the handle
I checked the profile to see if it looks okay. A tip to ensure nice shape is to look against the light with one eye. You would see the blade and handle in a kind of dark silhouette, the blade, bolster, guard and handle all in its entirety. Top line sings the same song with bottom line. This trick helps me avoid the bias with different materials and shapes (horn and brass, round and flat) when you look in normal light.
Happy with the handle re-profiling, its time to boil. I did not remove handle from the tang until this stage as its easier to work with the handle on the blade. A removed handle would be too short to hold during re-profiling. A pot would be shallow for the job. A kettle would be deep enough for water to cover the whole handle. For sure, I did this when my wife is away. When the bubbles appears, you can shake, twist, pull the handle out.
I used the chisel to shave off the laha.
A precious chance to satin-finish the bolster & guard, and remove all the filing marks and uneven things. When its fitted in the knife, there is not enough space for the buffing disc to reach all the corners. Its also dangerous to buff when its fitted in the blade.
Put it in. Have a look at it again. This look nice. It fits my hand. Okay to proceed.
Its time to work on the rings. I use 0.8mm thick brass sheet stock. This is thin enough to bend by hands but also thick enough so as not to melt during soldering. I cut into strips of 10mm wide. Then I cut them into ring size. Note the brass rod stock. This is about 1mm diameter. I bought in the local jewelery hardware supply. Normally people use a kind of soldering alloy material assumed to contain copper, lead, aluminum, with lower melting temperature. That way would leave an ugly soldering mark in the finished product. Using this type of brass requires higher temperature but would create a nicer joint later on. I cut them into 10mm pieces, dip in borax / flux. Also put some borax on the 2 ends of the brass rings where the soldering would happen. I use a gas torch like in the pix to heat the joint red hot. Both ends sticks themselves together.Then I put the piece of brass rod stock in, heat up again until it melted and filled up all the gaps. Im sorry I could not take pix of the soldering. Im one man show. Taking picture then cannot do soldering. Soldering then just could take picture later when its done. 
I wish I knew how to make brass rings earlier. At least I wont have to pay for the expensive diamond ring when I proposed to my wife. You guys should better know how to make this brass ring as well. You could save the diamond rings for HI DoDT. LOL
After soldering the joints. I filed off all the excess to make it even. As the handle tappers, then the ring embracing the handle would be not even too. One side of the ring is bigger than the other. Then I put it in a steel rod to hammer on the side I want it to be bigger. This steel rod is the tool silversmith uses to enlarge the rings. I bought it in the jewelery hardware store. Its an interesting place I could find a lot of things.
Blink blink blink I have 03 rings. I draft laid them into the horn handle. I put some super glue in to temporarily hold them. Then I used a hammer to hammer all angles to make sure no gaps are left. Then I adjust the position and filled all the gaps with super glue again.
Then the fun job of epoxy. Its easy. I could do this when I was 5. You too!
I re-used the pommel and keeper by Tirtha as I was lazy to make a new one. His brass pommel is good and should be re-used! Note that the pommel is bigger than the horn handle. Tomorrow Ill shave it off to fit. Then I peened the rat tail tang again.
Tomorrow Ill work on the finishing. Now Im sleepy already. Enjoy the show, mates!
Cheers,
Hung
The HI FSK is perfect but the handle is a little big for my hand. I started this project a month ago but until today I was in the mood and could make some progress. Happy to share with you the progress here.
First thing is to grind off the peened tang to open the pommel
Then use a chisel to dig the pommel out
Cover the sharp blade to avoid unwanted cut. I hate doctor and stitches
I used a fiber disc to cut the old rings off
Then use the sanding disc to re-profile the handle
I checked the profile to see if it looks okay. A tip to ensure nice shape is to look against the light with one eye. You would see the blade and handle in a kind of dark silhouette, the blade, bolster, guard and handle all in its entirety. Top line sings the same song with bottom line. This trick helps me avoid the bias with different materials and shapes (horn and brass, round and flat) when you look in normal light.
Happy with the handle re-profiling, its time to boil. I did not remove handle from the tang until this stage as its easier to work with the handle on the blade. A removed handle would be too short to hold during re-profiling. A pot would be shallow for the job. A kettle would be deep enough for water to cover the whole handle. For sure, I did this when my wife is away. When the bubbles appears, you can shake, twist, pull the handle out.
I used the chisel to shave off the laha.
A precious chance to satin-finish the bolster & guard, and remove all the filing marks and uneven things. When its fitted in the knife, there is not enough space for the buffing disc to reach all the corners. Its also dangerous to buff when its fitted in the blade.
Put it in. Have a look at it again. This look nice. It fits my hand. Okay to proceed.
Its time to work on the rings. I use 0.8mm thick brass sheet stock. This is thin enough to bend by hands but also thick enough so as not to melt during soldering. I cut into strips of 10mm wide. Then I cut them into ring size. Note the brass rod stock. This is about 1mm diameter. I bought in the local jewelery hardware supply. Normally people use a kind of soldering alloy material assumed to contain copper, lead, aluminum, with lower melting temperature. That way would leave an ugly soldering mark in the finished product. Using this type of brass requires higher temperature but would create a nicer joint later on. I cut them into 10mm pieces, dip in borax / flux. Also put some borax on the 2 ends of the brass rings where the soldering would happen. I use a gas torch like in the pix to heat the joint red hot. Both ends sticks themselves together.Then I put the piece of brass rod stock in, heat up again until it melted and filled up all the gaps. Im sorry I could not take pix of the soldering. Im one man show. Taking picture then cannot do soldering. Soldering then just could take picture later when its done. 
I wish I knew how to make brass rings earlier. At least I wont have to pay for the expensive diamond ring when I proposed to my wife. You guys should better know how to make this brass ring as well. You could save the diamond rings for HI DoDT. LOL
After soldering the joints. I filed off all the excess to make it even. As the handle tappers, then the ring embracing the handle would be not even too. One side of the ring is bigger than the other. Then I put it in a steel rod to hammer on the side I want it to be bigger. This steel rod is the tool silversmith uses to enlarge the rings. I bought it in the jewelery hardware store. Its an interesting place I could find a lot of things.
Blink blink blink I have 03 rings. I draft laid them into the horn handle. I put some super glue in to temporarily hold them. Then I used a hammer to hammer all angles to make sure no gaps are left. Then I adjust the position and filled all the gaps with super glue again.
Then the fun job of epoxy. Its easy. I could do this when I was 5. You too!
I re-used the pommel and keeper by Tirtha as I was lazy to make a new one. His brass pommel is good and should be re-used! Note that the pommel is bigger than the horn handle. Tomorrow Ill shave it off to fit. Then I peened the rat tail tang again.
Tomorrow Ill work on the finishing. Now Im sleepy already. Enjoy the show, mates!
Cheers,
Hung
LOL! How did I miss this comment the first time I read this through! LOL! 
