Tapering the tang question

flatgrinder

flatgrinder

Joined
Dec 20, 2005
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I was wondering when you taper a tang on a knife (without a guard) -where do you start the taper? Just behind the front of the scales?

Here's an example:

http://dozierknives.com/kdp.html

I know a knife with a guard has the taper start right behind the guard.

Any ideas?

Thanks. :thumbup:
 
I start my taper on that style right at the plunge. There is no purpose to have a flat ricasso.
 
Not meaning to hijack this thread but what is the purpose of the tapered tang? Is it solely to reduce handle weight and thus change/improve balance, or is it sort of a sign of a better made knife because it requires more work and is hard to do right?

Thanks,

Charles
 
Bruce has it right!

If you start the taper at the plunge then your guard and handle material are on the same plane. This makes getting a precise fit easier---at least it does for me.

-Mike-
 
The tapered tang is carry over from early times, when the only way to make a knife was to forge it. The tang had to be forged, and to get the most out of a piece of steel, which was very precious, the tang was forged to length, thus producing a tapered tang. Many trade knives, acually most trade knives. were done with a tapered short, or partial tang, in order to conserve steel. As far as balance, balance is in the hands of the beholder.
 
I also start the taper at the plunge. This makes sure the scales have a flat surface to sit on for their whole length.

I make both tapered and un-tapered tangs. Some like the balance of the tapered tang, and some prefer a little more weight in the hand. It's really up to the customer.
 
The tapered tang reduces weight in the handle and is a sign of quality. On thick stock I think its a must but for fillet knives and thin hunter blades there is no need. I even drill and taper the tang on some to help lighten things up.

Look at it this way, if you take the time to taper the tang correctly you can charge more money for it.
 
When I learned to forge at the ABS school in 1991 we were taught to forge a distal taper from the ricasso in both directions for balance. We left the ricasso full thickness, never strike that area with the hammer. After years of meeting customers and making lots of knives I find that it is not necessarily a quality thing but a preference. I make both and have no problem with either. As previously stated some like the thicker tang for the extra weight and some even prefer seeing more metal. Many do not even know or care that there is such a thing as a tapered tang. After 16 years of knife making I have never gotten caught up in "having to do something", but make what I choose the way I choose and they always sell. If it is a custom order then I do it the way they choose, unless it is something I just don't like making. The only people who can dictate quality are the customers, and if they like it they will buy it. One M/S (who has made knives 54 years) I studied with years ago sometimes drilled holes in the tang or ground out the center. They claim that a round hole doesn't weaken the strength of the steel. However; I'm sure that too many in the same place would. If you want to keep the thicker look and reduce the weight then do this.

Ramsey
 
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