How do I create the handle of a naginata?

[Girthicus]

Most pictures of naginata I've seen fit the tang inside the shaft.

European spears and polearms have the blade fit over a tapered end.

In the first picture, the naginata is mounted inside and secured with a mekugi(peg).
I've made handles where I split the stock in half to work on the inside.
How would I work this other than splitting the wood all the way down then gluing back together?

 

[Hengelo_77]

do you mean make a hidden tang knife?
Make a hole and enlarge it to fit the tang

 

[treewizzard]

i think you would saw the entire length of the handle, were you asking about this on bladesmithsforums?
i might have read that you cut the length of the tang and then cut off one side of the cut part, cut in the slot for the tang, and glue it back together. but im not sure about it, there wasnt much info i could find last time i looked.

i would cut a longer length than the tang for sure, and use some ferrules.

sorry if that doensnt make sense, im having trouble explaining it.... theres like a word that doesnt exist that i would need to use.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The naginata I made for the 2008 "Pole Arm Challenge" at Ashokan was a fun project. I made one that could be dismantled and carried in a sword bag. I will have to see if I can find the old thread, but I split the shaft and fit the nakago to it more or less like any standard tsuka. Then the shaft was laminated back together, and had collars and mekugi pegs to hold the blade in place.




Ok, here they are:

Here are some of the finished naginata photos:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/584085-NAGINATA-Heading-For-Ashokan

Very detailed shots of constructing the shaft/tsuka. Start looking at Post 126 to the end for multiple photos and instructions:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/562155-The-Ashokan-pole-arm-challenge/page7

Another discussion on fitting the nakago:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/536520-Naginata-question

 

[Teppojutsu]

^ wow Stacy that's was nice steel

 

[Girthicus]

Thats a nice naginata! The disassembling feature is a nice bonus to your design but does it make it weaker?

I decided on making the tang as rectangular as possible and cutting the shaft longitudinally to depth, filling in the sides, wrap with sandanmaki with semegane spacers...Kinda like a giant kusakarikama.
I would have done it your way but I have broom handles(basically giant dowels) at just the right length.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The assembled shaft is quite strong. Besides being a tight wedge fit, it is pegged with four pegs, wrapped with ito, and supported with metal collars. I suspect the ash would break somewhere else first in heavy combat.

Your method of assemble should be fine.