Hidden tang information.

T

TheOTBalisong

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
288
I want to try myself a hidden tang.
What do I need to get started.

My equipment is very limited, including files, sandpapers, hand drill, angle grinder, and hacksaw. :o
No filing jigs of any sort, so that might be a problem.

Is there anything particular I should look out for that's noticeably different from full tangs.
Besides the obvious pocket in the scales/bolsters, and the stick tang.
I also want to try for hidden pins. I assume they're just pins placed inside partially drilled holes in the handle material, correct?

I'm getting a grinder later in the year, so hopefully soon.

Thanks in advanced,
Alex.
 
Hidden tang and hidden pins would reguire a mortised handle. Cut it in half, carve out the pocket for the tang, partially drill the pin hole and glue it all together. Hidden tang with a normal pin is easiest with a handle broach. Do a search on here for broach, some make them from old scredrivers, a couple jig saw blade fastened together, old small files or scraps of blade steel.

I would strongly recommend savin your money for a drill press. It will drill rounder holes and straight holes. Lots of info on these boards on various ways to do it.

Here is a WIP done by Phil Patton with some very detailed info on doing a hidden tang. I suggest you read through the wole thread, but the handle process starts on page 3. Its one of my favorite WIP threads of all time.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/821648-Damascus-fighter-WIP-Professional-pictures-added!?highlight=phillip+patton+fighter+wip


-Xander
 
I am planning on getting a drill press as well, sorry for not mentioning that.
And I just checked out the WIP and it answered a few other questions, thanks.
 
I suggest you do as much s you can with what you have and enjoy learning, that first knife does not have to be perfect, nor will your last. The lessons learned while beginning can well be your most beneficial experience.
 
fast14riot said:
Hidden tang and hidden pins would reguire a mortised handle. Cut it in half, carve out the pocket for the tang, partially drill the pin hole and glue it all together. Hidden tang with a normal pin is easiest with a handle broach. Do a search on here for broach, some make them from old scredrivers, a couple jig saw blade fastened together, old small files or scraps of blade steel.

I would strongly recommend savin your money for a drill press. It will drill rounder holes and straight holes. Lots of info on these boards on various ways to do it.

Here is a WIP done by Phil Patton with some very detailed info on doing a hidden tang. I suggest you read through the wole thread, but the handle process starts on page 3. Its one of my favorite WIP threads of all time.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/821648-Damascus-fighter-WIP-Professional-pictures-added!?highlight=phillip+patton+fighter+wip


-Xander
Click to expand...

That was one frikken gorgeous knife! Also a great WIP, thanks for that link.
 
Ed Fowler said:
I suggest you do as much s you can with what you have and enjoy learning, that first knife does not have to be perfect, nor will your last. The lessons learned while beginning can well be your most beneficial experience.
Click to expand...

I've already made two full tang knives and have learned so much from the experience.
I wouldn't have even the thoughts to start it wasn't for the amazing knife maker's here on bladeforums.
I feel very fortunate to be learning such a craft, and hope to be able to pump out pieces with the best of them, I think I cleared about 0.01% of the road to becoming a "master" knife maker. ;)
Anyways, thanks for the wise words, Mr. Fowler.
 
Hidden tangs don't require special tools. They just require a different approach to mounting the blade to the handle. Instead of thinking in terms of scales, think in terms of solids... antlers, blocks, horns, tusks.

You need to think around problems like turning round holes into rectangular slots. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Frankly, I find it easier than fitting scales. And so long as your collection of files includes some needle files, you already have the tools you need to do the job.

Give it a whirl. And if you need a solid block or two to start out with (to get away from trying to retrofit scales), drop me a line and I'll send you a couple.

- Greg
 
Just a hint or two...
Get a long drill bit. My local Lowe's has 6 inchers, and Sears has 12" bits. The longer the drill bit (within reason), the easier it is to drill a straight hole through a block with a hand drill, as you can use the extra length to gauge the straightness of your hole. I find a hand drill better for this purpose than a drill press, but I am an odd fellow...

Find some needle rasps, they are excellent for this work (I found some through Amazon). A broach of some sort is a huge time saver for blind holes. A sawsall blade that has been ground narrow makes for a quick and easy broach... find or make a handle to attach it to and you are good to go. A saw, or a rasp, is so much faster than a needle file for hogging away material, but needle files are great to have, too.... just save them for the fine fit part of the process.
 
Just a little tip on long drill bits.
(using a drill press)
I like to pre drill the hole with a same diameter drill bit of normal lenght and after that use the long one.
That way the hole is less likely to be off center.
 
tryppyr said:
Hidden tangs don't require special tools. They just require a different approach to mounting the blade to the handle. Instead of thinking in terms of scales, think in terms of solids... antlers, blocks, horns, tusks.

You need to think around problems like turning round holes into rectangular slots. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Frankly, I find it easier than fitting scales. And so long as your collection of files includes some needle files, you already have the tools you need to do the job.

Give it a whirl. And if you need a solid block or two to start out with (to get away from trying to retrofit scales), drop me a line and I'll send you a couple.

- Greg
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips, Greg.

I forgot to mention that I do indeed have a set of diamond needle files.
And I'm going to have to pass on the handle material, although very generous, thank you.
I have tons of handle material that I need to fit to knives, so I won't be in need of more for a long time.
 
Lots of great tips. I built my first hidden-tang as a mortised scale construction way back in 1986 or 87. I used a pocketknife and a small file to make the slots because that's literally all the tools I had, and I didn't know you couldn't do it that way :p Heck, I didn't even know it was called a mortised tang - I thought I invented it :D

I've tried "burning" a hot tang into a block after drilling a pilot hole, but without much success - I suspect the propane torch I was using just wasn't giving enough heat.

Point is, there's lots of ways to accomplish it.

Here's another fun and simple tutorial in case you ever want to build one with a butt cap. It works for hidden- or full-tang knives.
 
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