How would you do this?

Keith Willis

Well-Known Member
This was cut out to be a full tang,I have more of them already cut out,I just need to finish sanding them.I would like to make some of them hidden tang,using antler for the handle
I am just wondering (if using this profile) I could change it to fit an antler,and make it look right? If so,How would you go about doing so?

Thanks,
God bless,Keith
 
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Keith,
I'm probably not the best to advise on this, as I'm a new maker, but I have done this before. Basically you need to trim the tang down to a stick tang making sure you include shoulders for a guard if your going to use one. Also, you want to make a shoulder on the spine about an 1/8 of an inch, this will allow the spine and the handle to be in line with each other, I know I'm not explaining this very well,like I can see it in mind head. If you want me to explain it better I can draw it up and send it to you, I still have not been able to figure out how to post pics on here, holler if you want more help, nice design BTW, and I love the grind. Matter of fact I just finished one very similar, not as much of an up swept blade tip, I hand forged it out 1080, finished her off with mosaic pins on Desert Iron wood, sadly the iron handles were salvaged from the very first knife I was making back in June, I wanted the Iron wood more than I wanted the pins to be placed correctly, this was a trade off, as I got to use a set of handles that cost me 25.00 that I messed up when I first started making knives back in the summer. I know I was being a cheap A$$, if it matters, I was making it for me. Let me know if you want me to draw it up for you, shouldn't take me too long to knock it out,
Rex
 
Kieth,

You have a slick design there but I think you will find that if you try to convert it to a stick tang, the tang will put the antler too high to do what you want it to. You want the tang to be about centered on the blade. Try one by just grinding from the top and see if it will work for the antler you have. If it doesn't work out, you have only lost one blade.

Hope that helps,
Carey
 
Thanks Rex,and Carey
Rex,I was kinda thinking along the same lines as Carey,but I would really like to see what you have in mind.That would at least give me an idea of something I could try.
If anyone else has any ideas,I would be thankful for the help.

Thanks again.
God bless,Keith
 
You could try tracing your antler out as careful as possible and lay your blade on the pattern to see if you can modify it enough to work. You don't have to run the hidden tang all the way through the antler and I think there has been many pics of multipiece tangs that can manage curves. If it looks doable, I'd also make sure I had the ability to make the hole in the antler.

Good luck with it, Craig
 
You didn't say how big the blade is but assuming is about a 2 1/2" blade you would have a pretty narrow tang to work with. You could grind it down to about a 1/4" tang and do something like this but it would be a pretty narrow tang.

SkinnerMod.jpg


If you had a nice curved piece of antler you might be able to grind the curve into the tang and save more of the width.
 
First let me say I like the pattern of the knife.
I dont know if you have enough tang to work down though. Take a look at Mike's pics (pretty neat how you did that Mike) if you look at the first one (your pattern) it has a nice flow to it. Now look at the one Mike has superimposed the stag onto, maybe its just me but it looks a little unbalanced.
If it were me I would slab the stag into scales and stick with the full tang. Just my $.02.

Thats gonna make a good looking knife.

Sean
 
Thanks guys,for all the advice.

Thank you Mike,for taking the time to do that for me.That is what I had on my mind,I just could not get the pic drawn in my head.I think I am going to try a curved piece,that is if I have a good one

Thanks again
God bless,Keith
 
Thanks guys,for all the advice.

Thank you Mike,for taking the time to do that for me.That is what I had on my mind,I just could not get the pic drawn in my head.I think I am going to try a curved piece,that is if I have a good one

Thanks again
God bless,Keith

No problem. Photoshop is the knifemakers friend. :D
 
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