First hidden tang construction...need help with handle design

[Blackdirt cowboy]

Had a buddy ask me to make him a hidden tang skinning knife. I’ve got one forged out and now I’m stumped on how to design the front of the handle. He wants the handle to be elk antler with no finger guard. Here is a pic of the blade as it sits now...

I’ll have to cut a little of the tang off, as it’s too long. I have the shoulders square and a relief cut made on the side of the tang to help hide the slot in the handle after fit up.

Here is what he wants the handle to look like. I don’t have the piece of antler yet, I’m going to get it tomorrow. He wants to have the burr on the butt end of the handle and, like I said, no finger guard. I’m thinking about softening the lower corner of the ricasso and that will effectively become a finger groove.

It should still be safe as the sharpened edge will not come all the way back to the ricasso. I will grind plunge lines in about 1/4” in front of the tang when it finish out the bevels after heat treating. Does this sound like a good plan to y’all, or am I missing something. Also, how in the world should I finish the front of the antler handle to make it look good?

 

[Nick-D]

Personally I think you would want to cut a radius into the heel of the blade there to create a bit of a ricasso. If you butt the antler hard up against the square shoulder it interupts the eye to much (at least in my opinion) especially considering you have a nice organic flow/feel to the blade shape and the same to the handle, the sharp junction wont fit. I would fit the handle first then mark where/how the antler looks at the intersection and cut the relief/radius accordingly

Also I would align the top of the antler to flow along the spine as best I could the reverse hum as show again interupts the flow of the knife. This will obv be dependant on the piece of antler you are working with as well.

Elk antler has a pretty big core so generally if its used will be used in conjunction with a small bolster. Brass would look nice with the materials and feel of the build I think

 

[Blackdirt cowboy]

Personally I think you would want to cut a radius into the heel of the blade there to create a bit of a ricasso. If you butt the antler hard up against the square shoulder it interupts the eye to much (at least in my opinion) especially considering you have a nice organic flow/feel to the blade shape and the same to the handle, the sharp junction wont fit. I would fit the handle first then mark where/how the antler looks at the intersection and cut the relief/radius accordingly

Also I would align the top of the antler to flow along the spine as best I could the reverse hum as show again interupts the flow of the knife. This will obv be dependant on the piece of antler you are working with as well.

Elk antler has a pretty big core so generally if its used will be used in conjunction with a small bolster. Brass would look nice with the materials and feel of the build I think

Nick, that’s perfect and exactly what I was meaning to say when I said soften the corner of the ricasso. You said it more eloquently than I did, and your drawing on the picture is exactly what I had in mind.

So the blue line you drew in is a brass(or whatever other material he may want) bolster that’s shaped to the handle exactly? So the handle won’t taper all the way down to the ricasso, it will be somewhat blunted off?

 

[Nick-D]

Yeah with elk antler the porous bit in the middle is quite large, so you cant shape/taper it much before you strike that core and end up with a ruined/ugly handle.

That's why people use rusa antler a lot, as its core is small and you can shape it quite a bit before running into the core.

 

[JamesBro]

Along with adding a bolster or guard you may want to grind in a slight flare or wider spot to the top of the tang. You wouldn't have to go far into your blade area to greatly increase the strength of the tang to blade transition.
If you absolutely can't have a bolster, this would be a necessary step. Elk would not work but you can find a piece of sambar stag with little to no pith...not cheap though.
James

 

[Blackdirt cowboy]

Along with adding a bolster or guard you may want to grind in a slight flare or wider spot to the top of the tang. You wouldn't have to go far into your blade area to greatly increase the strength of the tang to blade transition.
If you absolutely can't have a bolster, this would be a necessary step. Elk would not work but you can find a piece of sambar stag with little to no pith...not cheap though.
James

James, I’m not sure I’m following what you mean by grinding in a flare to the top of the tang.

 

[JamesBro]

Thats nickel silver and makes a great bolster for stag, hiding all joints, adding strength and you can taper it into the blade however you want.
I would have taken a pic with the guard off but I pinned and soldered it yesterday...
James (just saw your message, you would be grinding away some blade area to add a smooth wider transition into the blade, eliminating a snapping point if the blade is subjected to misuse or lateral (prying) forces. Just common custom blade practice for a hidden tang.

 

[Blackdirt cowboy]

Ok. I see what you’re saying I think. Your tang is a little thinner than the ricasso, so you’re bolster slides up against the back of the ricasso. If that’s what you mean, then I have done that already. I will definitely put a bolster of some sort on it, I just haven’t decided what material to use. I’ll probably use matching material for the but cap if I can’t find a piece of antler with the burr on it.

 

[JamesBro]

My tang is the same thickness as my ricasso, just tapers in width. Here is what I was suggesting, especially if you did not add a bolster.
The bottom is the way I make hidden tangs. Do whatever works for you, good luck with your knife.
James

 

[Blackdirt cowboy]

That makes perfect sense and should be much stronger. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Another tip would be to curve the tang downward so the antler piece is more inline with the blade spine.