Tapers?

J

jtwodogs

Joined
Feb 1, 2009
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404
I know I am full of questions? Did not see it in the stickies (May have been there)
Do you do your distal taper before your profile taper? Seems logical, but again to new to take for granted.
Thanks
 
Do whatever works for ya :) Me, I just profile and work the tapers in along with the bevels. I don't think there's really a "right" or "wrong" way as long as you end up with what you were aiming for.
 
After experimenting with both approaches, I do exactly as Stacy mentioned with one caveat (I do all of my grinds post HT). It's easier for me, when aiming for a true distal taper, to grind the taper first and then bevel.
 
Grinding the distal taper after the profiling makes the entire grind easier. If you grind the taper, pre-bevel grind, its much easier to keep the grind lines straight. The reason is you are trying to remove more material from the bevel as you move toward the tip. If the taper is already done you won't be fighting to keep the grind lines level. If you grind the tapers as you grind the bevels the grind gets more difficult as you grind as opposed to easier if the distal taper is already done. You can find this out on your own by grinding two identical blades; one with distal taper the other without and you can decide for yourself.
 
I might have to try that Fred. My taper happens as a result of my bevel grinds. But easier is always an attractive concept to me.
 
Fred, Stacy, is the same true for a wharncliffe? Mine tapered as I ground the primaries. Didn't even occur to me to grind the distal first.
 
For me, if it will have distal taper in the final product then doing it first makes seance; whatever the blade shape.
 
I put the profiled blade blank on a 10" long grinding magnet and taper the whole blade portion on the flat platen or on the disc sander. It literally takes seconds per side with a good Blaze belt.

If it is a hidden tang, I taper the whole thing about an inch past the tang shoulders, and then re-verse taper the tang back up to the shoulders. This takes care of the tang as well as the blade taper. Having pre-tapered the tang before adding the bevels will assure easier guard fitting.

On larger full tang knives I taper the blade and then taper the tang toward the butt ... meeting slightly forward of the ricasso/handle junction point. After sanding the blade, the position of the junction will walk back to the perfect spot (hopefully).

If it is a thin bladed full tang, like thin fillet and kitchen blades, I taper the entire blade from butt to tip....leaving the tip about .030" thick. The amount of taper is so small on .060" thick stock that it does not affect the handle installation. For instance - on a 7" blade fillet knife with a 5" handle made in 1/16" stock, the handle portion only tapers about .010" from butt to ricasso. That is a difference of only the thickness of a cheap business card. If you drill the scales while clamped together, the pins will still slip through when on the tapered tang ( unless you drilled the pin holes too tight to start with). At most, you will need a slightly stronger clamp on the front of the scales than on the butt when gluing up the handle. If you drill the scales on the tang, there will be no noticeable angle to the pins, as the divergence is less than a degree.
 
This is a very good discussion as I've noticed that many properly designed Japanese knives will have the distil taper forged in and then the grind line runs parallel with the blade. That can't be ground in in one step. Either the distil taper must be forged or ground and then the primary grinds are set.
 
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