F-S replica

C

Colman

Joined
Mar 2, 2021
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Hi all, this is my first post. I'm glad to join such a great forum!
I'm planning to make a F-S replica, and found the plan with the specs and dimensions - I'm sure you have seen it many times. But my doubt is, the blade is 1/4" at the guard and the shaft only 1/8". Why is it? Isn't it too thin/weak? Wouldn't a 1/4" shaft be better?
Thanks in advance.
 
From memory the original called for a brass handle and guard, which would support the tang. Also it's designed for stabbing people, not chopping through 2x4s, so the stress on the tang works in a different direction.
You could make it thicker, i have a half finished one here that's closer to 5mm
 
Colman said:
Hi all, this is my first post. I'm glad to join such a great forum!
I'm planning to make a F-S replica, and found the plan with the specs and dimensions - I'm sure you have seen it many times. But my doubt is, the blade is 1/4" at the guard and the shaft only 1/8". Why is it? Isn't it too thin/weak? Wouldn't a 1/4" shaft be better?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...


If I were making one or having a custom maker make me one, it would have a thicker tang.
 
I'm doing one now and I went with 3/16" and kept the tang thicker since it will be under a leather handle on mine.
I didn't study the history too carefully, but I think I read that some of the later patterns were 3/16".
There are some variations with respect to a plunge or lack thereof. I'm doing a smatchet also from the same piece of stock.
 
To be clear, I'm making mine out of 3/16" thick stock, not 1/4". I'm leaving the width of the tang even wider than 1/4" except the last part which I threaded.
 
The Wilkinson 2nd pattern drawing has the tang beefed up to 3/16".
 
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