When to thread thru-tang?

Phil705

Phil705

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Aug 23, 2007
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The last time (before HT) I threaded the end of the tang for the butt-plate, nut, I twisted the tang and had to re-straighten it. Do you recommend doing the threads before or after HT? Any other tricks?
 
Either don't hardened the tang end at all, or thread the tang, harden it, then draw the temper to a soft tang. Chase the threads to clean them up ( run the die down the threads again) before final fitting.
I never have a full hard tang on these type handles.
Stacy
 
It doesn't matter when I do it because I never harden the tang. If it bends, which is usually does, straighten it out and run the threading die back over it to remove any burrs or flat spots.:thumbup:
 
New to HT. How does one harden the knife without hardening the tang?
 
I've been doing plate quench. So would I put the blade between the plates and leave the tang sticking out?
 
Phil705 said:
I've been doing plate quench. So would I put the blade between the plates and leave the tang sticking out?
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like your using an air hardening steel if your using plates. I don't think you can do much of anything to stop the tang from not hardening.
 
Yes, what steel are we talking about?

If it is an air quench steel, you will have to thread the tang first, and then chase the threads after hardening and tempering.
Stacy
 
I'm using 154 CM for the through-tang knife. I guess I'm still not sure why you would differentially harden the blade vs the handle. But since I can't do that with plate quench, then it may be an academic questions with an air quench steel.
 
In a carbon steel blade, the blade is often quenched only up to the first inch of tang. The end of the tang is kept out of the oil. Even f the tang is full hardened, the temper can be drawn with a torch to soften it a lot. This makes bending the tang to fit down a stag crown or dropped butt handle easy.
On stainless blades, this is not really possible. You can draw the temper some, but have to be careful of the temperatures you go to.
Stacy
 
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