Need Help!

[Jay west]

I have a recurring problem and need a solution. On larger knives (fighters and Bowies) I have difficulty getting a tang through a pieced front bolster with enough meat to it to thread the end for a screw on pommel. I've learned to cut the threads while the tang is still thick enough to allow a 1/4" dye to turn on it without hanging up. I then grind it flat to get it through the pieced bolster at about 5/32 or so but it makes the tip of the tang pretty weak for threading the pommel on to. I put a lot of work into making knives that won't fail and 'd like something more solid.

Does anybody have a solution to this situation? Thanks, Jay

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

There are many solutions to you problem.
1) Put the bolster/guard on and then weld a threaded tang extension in 1/4" round stock on the tang.
2) Make a "take down" tang. This will have a "T"-slot or "box" that the end of the extension will fit into. The extension is 1/4" round and threaded at the other end.
3) Use bicycle chain or similar "flex" connector to attach a flexible tang extension to the shorter solid tang. This is often used on a knife with a heavily dropped butt, as in a stag crown bowie handle. IIRC, Nick Wheeler does this a lot.
4) Make the ricasso, and thus the tang at the guard/bolster, thicker. You can do this by using thicker stock and grinding in a lot of distal taper, or forging the blade to have a thicker ricasso.