Knife Handle

D

David Voigt

Joined
Feb 24, 2019
Messages
4
I made this knife from a coil spring on an old car I used to have, and I'm finally at the point of putting a handle on it. I was originally going to just slide a deer antler handle on it, but because I didn't center the tang, I don't think it'll sit right. But I'm also not sure if I can add the handle like a full tang, because it isn't wide enough. Any tips?

Pictures: http://imgur.com/a/VclCErj
 
David, I see this is only your 2nd post to the forum so perhaps you are not aware of who Bill DeShivs is and his skill level in making knives. When Mr Bill says "A", then doing "A" will work just fine. Grind the tang thinner and know it will still be plenty strong.
 
Japanese swords were all made hidden tang but I guess they aren't strong enough... :eek::rolleyes:

Also that looks very thick so a full tang will likely make the balance far from neutral and extremely handle heavy.
 
Hi David, welcome.
Just to make sure we're all clear, I think this is what Mr DeShivs is referring to when he suggests grinding the tang thinner and this modification won't effect the strength.
l93tB8u.jpg
 
I really appreciate all the comments. I took Mr. Bill's advice, and ground down the tang. I did it before seeing the line drawn in the picture so this is what I ended up with. http://imgur.com/a/XgivEk3 . As for the handle, I made another knife a while back in which I just soaked the antler in water and just hammered the handle onto the blade. For this heavier knife, would that still be a good idea, or should I actually use epoxy? And, is capping the end of the handle necessary?
 
First piece of advice is SLOW DOWN. Think things through, an if you have a problem, figure out the whole process to fix it before you rush ahead and do something hat isn't right. If you ask a question here, wait till you have the answers before going ahead with something else.

Your re-grind will be hard to put a handle on and have it pointing the right direction.

You want to drill a hole in the antler that will fit the tang, and then use epoxy to set the tang in the hole.
You might want to go back to your forge and hammer that tang so it goes more downward. Do it at full forging heat so the metal bends down easily.

Now, about your blade shape:
That is what we call a "banana blade". It curves up as you move the steel at the edge. The way you avoid this and get a straight blade is by forging the bar down in a reverse banana before you start forging the bevels. If the blade starts rising too much, forge if back down to a slight downward bend again. When done with the bevels, the blade should be straight.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
First piece of advice is SLOW DOWN. Think things through, an if you have a problem, figure out the whole process to fix it before you rush ahead and do something hat isn't right. If you ask a question here, wait till you have the answers before going ahead with something else.

Your re-grind will be hard to put a handle on and have it pointing the right direction.

You want to drill a hole in the antler that will fit the tang, and then use epoxy to set the tang in the hole.
You might want to go back to your forge and hammer that tang so it goes more downward. Do it at full forging heat so the metal bends down easily.

Now, about your blade shape:
That is what we call a "banana blade". It curves up as you move the steel at the edge. The way you avoid this and get a straight blade is by forging the bar down in a reverse banana before you start forging the bevels. If the blade starts rising too much, forge if back down to a slight downward bend again. When done with the bevels, the blade should be straight.
Click to expand...
How far should I bend the tang down?
 
It should be at least straight from the ricasso. On your up-bent blade, I would bend it down a little past that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top