I used to see him at local gun shows all the time. This was many years ago, so I don't know if his practices have changed, but at that time he told me he liked to use metal banding/straps off pallets or whatever in his damascus. I have read an account from another guy who had bad experience with one. He said the blade was brazed or soldered directly to the front of the guard with no tang whatsoever. It snapped right off when he tried using it, because it happened to be a poor brazing job. But if it was a good brazing job, he probably wouldn't have known there was no tang if he just used it gently for lighter cutting. I seriously doubt it would have held up to heavy use either way. But again, that info is several years old, so just email the maker directly and ask him about how he makes them.