Tang Stamping

[thawk]

Does someone have a good explanation of the process used (past and present) of Tang Stamping a knife? I would assume the stamp occurs prior to heat treating the steel, and there is a press which has a die that is harder metal than the steel it is stamping.

I would be interested to read how they did it in the old days, compared how it is done in recent times.

The question arises from seeing quite a few uncataloged Schrade knives that have LTD stamps, when in fact the knife itself while maybe was a Limited Edition, but not anything too special. Is it possible an LTD knive was sometimes just a way to use up old stock? The stamping process might support this theory, in either direction.

 

[waynorth]

Well, I'm not sure anyone is still alive who was there at the start <g>, but the tang is a logical place to stamp a brand on the knife, because some grinding occurs after heat treat, if only finishing. That said, some knives have stampings on the blade also.
Treat yourself to a tour of the Case or Queen factories! You will see some amazing things happen there. I watched a roll of steel unwind through a series of machines, stamping blade after blade, and one of the first things to be stamped, was the Tang stamp; BEFORE the blade was punched out!! Talk about precision!
On old knives you can see variances that suggests hand stamping of course.