Tapered Tang HT

Frank Aguirre

Well-Known Member
I sometimes make tapered tang knives. I have been thinking about this and figure some sort of aluminum plate jig to quench the blades. How do you guys quench tapered tangs? Thx!
 
I think a lot of guys just taper after HT. I would be interested in hearing about any other techniques to deal with this though. The idea of tapering 3v after HT is enough to give me convulsing fits.
 
I taper the tang on every knife and taper every tang before heat treat. No problems. I plate quench it just like a non tapered tang. as long as the grinds are even on each side of the tang you should be OK. As far as 3V, it should be professionally heat treated and any good heat treater should see to it that the tang is straight as long as the grinds are close. After heat treat I grind off the oxidation with a 400 grit or 45 micron belt and it's good to go.
-John
 
No, my plates are mounted to a woodworkers vice postition vertically with a quick release.
-John
 

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The plates won't make perfect full contact with the entire tang when tapered, but they still contact at the ricasso and the beginning of the blade taper. Even with the smaller amount of contact, the plates will pull heat out of the entire blade much faster than just an air cool. So no worries with the tapered tang.

--nathan
 
I forge rather than do stock removal but once I normalize the tang I don't quench it to keep it soft so I can drill it without having to use carbide bits. I realize that with air quenching steel that this could be a problem if the tang is austinized.

Doug Lester
 
Yeah, it's all but impossible to keep the tang dead soft in stainless with the long soaks times and plenty of time to miss the pearlite nose. I just keep the edge underwater and use a torch to draw back the temper on tang for a while if I really desire a softer tang.

--nathan
 
I do most of the taper after heat treat. Most of the time I do a one inch hollow at the butt end to establish the taper , then grind and taper the rest after HT.
 
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