Tapering tangs.

Guindesigns

Guindesigns

Well-Known Member
I was told to look for John Barker's tutorial on tampering tangs but I can't seem to find it does anyone just have the link. Or link to a good video or something I have a knife that needs to be done and the only one I've ever did was years ago under extreme supervision from a mentor. Thanks
 
There's a number of decent You Tube videos on tapering a tang. I can't remember which one I liked the best or I'd attach a link.
 
I’ve watched quite a few Jack Lore you tube videos. He has a good one on tapering tangs.
 
I don't have a tutorial on it YET..... but with tapered tangs, most folks have to change their thought pattern. Most have it in their head that the ricasso area of a knife must be completly flat...... not so. When I make any hidden tang, it includes a distal taper...... what the means is the thickest portion of the knife is smack in the middle of the ricasso. From ther the front half of the ricasso and the blade tapers to the point, and from there the rear portion of the ricasso, and the tang taper to it's end. Generally I do the blade end on each side first, and will often "overshoot" the ending point towards the rear/tang.....then do the tang end, and can "push" that termination line right to the middle of the ricasso.

Most of the time you will be able to see that taper termination part.....at least until you hand sand. By the time I'm done hand sanding, the only way that anyone could ever detect that there's a "high spot" in the middle of the ricasso, is by measuring with a micrometer.

Probably some folks scratching their heads right now.....but that's how I've done it for 30+ years..... and it works well for me. The other up side of doing it that way is fitting a guard..... there's a video on KnifeMakerTraining.com about fitting guards on a hidden tang..... https://gumroad.com/l/edoIE
 
Think about it like flat grinding a really long bevel. Scribe your lines on the end, then cut the bevel in steep to your desired thickness. Walk the grind toward the ricasso, and stop past the point of your handle material or bolster. Front, rear, or middle of the ricasso is up to you. I use a welding magnet and grind flat against the platen for my initial grind, then finish the flattening on a disk.
 
I use a welding magnet and grind flat against the platen
Click to expand...

Ditto! But it use grinding magnets that I've made...... Using the cheap $5 magnet tool bars from Harbor Freight. :)
 
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