pinning tapered Tang knives

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Grouser1741

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Apr 17, 2018
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So I haven't made one yet but I'm thinking about it a lot. One of the things that came to mind was how to pin the scales on a tapered Tang knife. Are the pens perpendicular to the scales or to the blade of the knife? Hope that's clear as mud.
 
I've not done a tapered tang yet - got one ground with tang tapered ready for HT, then handles. My thinking is the pins will be perpendicular to the centerline of tang. That's my thinking but will be watching this thread for other ideas from the folks who actually know.

Ken H>
 
I'm not sure I understand your question whtshdwwz. The holes in the tang itself can (and should) be drilled prior to tapering. But the holes in the scales can not be drilled prior or they wouldn't align correctly. They must be drilled afterwards. I, like many I suppose, use a simple clamping fixture to hold the blade/tang with scales, perpendicular to the drill bit.
 
Simplest answer is to shim up one end of the handle material by the amount you remove from each side of the tang.

If you taper 3/16 steel down to 1/8, you’ve removed 1/32 of material per side. Use a shim 1/32 thick under your handle material at the butt end and your scales will be drilled perpendicular to the tang.
 
Drill your holes before you taper your tang. Then you can use a simple fixture to keep the blade perpendicular while you drill the scales one at a time. Larry P.S. Put a support wedge under the back of the tang. LL

Tef8gJRl.jpg
 
LARRYZ10 said:
Drill your holes before you taper your tang. Then you can use a simple fixture to keep the blade perpendicular while you drill the scales one at a time. Larry P.S. Put a support wedge under the back of the tang. LL

Tef8gJRl.jpg
Click to expand...
This is what I had pictured in my mind thanks for the illustration.
 
I built a jig for tapered tang handles...I'll try to get a picture after work today.

Essentially it is a piece of Aluminum billet with two blocks and screws set up as a horizontal clamp, almost like a file guide. the area under the handle scale material has 3 drilled and tapped holes for swivel feet cut from some cheapo HF C-clamps to support the handle scales when drilling. I use CA glue (a few drops) to attach the scales, drill one scale, attach the second and drill those. Works for Corby's as well as pins.
 
navman said:
I built a jig for tapered tang handles...I'll try to get a picture after work today.

Essentially it is a piece of Aluminum billet with two blocks and screws set up as a horizontal clamp, almost like a file guide. the area under the handle scale material has 3 drilled and tapped holes for swivel feet cut from some cheapo HF C-clamps to support the handle scales when drilling. I use CA glue (a few drops) to attach the scales, drill one scale, attach the second and drill those. Works for Corby's as well as pins.
Click to expand...
Pictures pictures pictures please thanks for the reply. by the way what is the actual reason for a tapered Tang knife? Redistributing the weight? Or purely aesthetic?
 
LARRYZ10 said:
Drill your holes before you taper your tang. Then you can use a simple fixture to keep the blade perpendicular while you drill the scales one at a time. Larry P.S. Put a support wedge under the back of the tang. LL
Click to expand...

Larry, your clamping on the flat of the Ricasso which will keep the centerline of the tang level? If the blade is tapered also, clamping the blade would prevent the tang centerline from being level.... wouldn't it?

Grouser, my understanding of the purpose of a tapered tang is two fold: reduce weight, and to show skill of knifemaker's ability to taper the tang properly.

Ken H>
 
Grouser1741 said:
Pictures pictures pictures please thanks for the reply. by the way what is the actual reason for a tapered Tang knife? Redistributing the weight? Or purely aesthetic?
Click to expand...

Tapered tangs redistribute the weight. As a maker becomes more skilled, blades and tangs both get tapered. It’s just a much more efficient tool. The only blades I don’t taper are 0.060” or thinner.
 
My clamping fixture is very similar to the one LARRYZ10 LARRYZ10 uses, but with adjustable supports for the scales similar to what navman navman uses. Sometimes I use CA glue, sometimes I use the smallest KantTwist clamps to temporary hold the scales. You shouldn't run into issues, even on a distal tapered blade, as long as you have some ricasso available to clamp down on. Instances like that, are one of the many reasons why it is critical to have the ricasso dead flat and parallel. It is the "foundation" to any good build.
 
Ken H> said:
Larry, your clamping on the flat of the Ricasso which will keep the centerline of the tang level? If the blade is tapered also, clamping the blade would prevent the tang centerline from being level.... wouldn't it?

Grouser, my understanding of the purpose of a tapered tang is two fold: reduce weight, and to show skill of knifemaker's ability to taper the tang properly.

Ken H>
Click to expand...
Ken, You correct. If the blade is tapered also you would have to shim it where it clamps and use a level to keep it at centerline. On this blade you can see dovetailed bolsters so I kept the ricasso flat. Larry
 
That's a perfect fixture for drilling tapered tangs. I'll need to rig something for the one tapered tang knife I'm working on.
 
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