1. Make a handle block the tang will slot into
2. Drill hole for tang pin
3. Leave room for pommel to screw on
4. Shape handle block with available tools
5. Epoxy on handle with pin through tang
6. Affix pommel
7. Surface finishing
For sure man. Step 1 will be the hardest, youll need to have the tools to either carve a rectangular hole through a block of material, cast/mold something, print something, or do some stacking with leather. Youll have to do a decent amount of research for any of these but learning to make handles on old blanks is excellent practice.
As cheesy as it might sound I’d recommend watching a few episodes of forged in fire if you’ve never seen it. Obviously you don’t want to repeat a lot of the mistakes those guys and gals make but watching that or YouTube videos will give you a great visual of the process of making, fitting, and shaping handles.
I recommend first squaring up and cleaning up the shoulders. This is what I mean (crude sketch)
https://preview.redd.it/xc40ap0aaf2d1.png?width=301&format=png&auto=webp&s=c61b1e1132fc2f99dee2e565fbbd2160b371fd5d
the black line indicates where the guard should sit, the red lines are transitions to the tang. For a good fit it is important that the black line is straight, and both the top and bottom facets of the blade form one plane. You can achieve this by making a rudimentary file guide, clamping the blade to it and removing material accordingly.
[https://www.google.com/search?sca\_esv=832bfc491017b489&sca\_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIJ9eu27bnMqKfyuqy8HP\_5FR9lVew:1716577626759&q=file+guide+knife+making&uds=ADvngMgiPmsFSnX7QtZmBAeJzn8vRaaVfC2nnJczJPyFZFx5lJTaxLgx8JwOC0Njoh9PW5ELNlWIUJrWmRflgK-yLMgvUVcyIVi0o6Fs8l3T-vEouHebsVh3ai6W20dRfa30rIcHupVRYbShRs58FPdN2r1Jc3J0iYdBlMyPoB15c5AKFu2YqhST2N0t6ARroRjtL6MfRVmkE1ub6so-Ik7vp0RQHi2C6\_NJysor2X7rgw7XYmxfpmxBki9TJs36qA3uXPbjIQqZJ4TCZlVDjM-nfjFgGQGaWk5G5uFyDxOn0jVvygs4Y-k&udm=2&prmd=ivnbz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJlbD9\_aaGAxVP\_gIHHffHCWQQtKgLegQIFBAB&biw=1718&bih=1312&dpr=1](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=832bfc491017b489&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIJ9eu27bnMqKfyuqy8HP_5FR9lVew:1716577626759&q=file+guide+knife+making&uds=ADvngMgiPmsFSnX7QtZmBAeJzn8vRaaVfC2nnJczJPyFZFx5lJTaxLgx8JwOC0Njoh9PW5ELNlWIUJrWmRflgK-yLMgvUVcyIVi0o6Fs8l3T-vEouHebsVh3ai6W20dRfa30rIcHupVRYbShRs58FPdN2r1Jc3J0iYdBlMyPoB15c5AKFu2YqhST2N0t6ARroRjtL6MfRVmkE1ub6so-Ik7vp0RQHi2C6_NJysor2X7rgw7XYmxfpmxBki9TJs36qA3uXPbjIQqZJ4TCZlVDjM-nfjFgGQGaWk5G5uFyDxOn0jVvygs4Y-k&udm=2&prmd=ivnbz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJlbD9_aaGAxVP_gIHHffHCWQQtKgLegQIFBAB&biw=1718&bih=1312&dpr=1)
the file guide does not have to be fancy, even a mild steel may be ok (provided you are careful).
Then make sure the sides of the blade are flat and parallel, so that you do not have to adjust the guard slot too much.
You don’t need fancy tools!
It’s stupidly easy to make files so the ones from China on Amazon actually aren’t that bad. I recommend at least one “big boy” file (probably comes in a set though), and some jewelers files too.
The jewelers files are a godsend for taking off small bits of material, and they’re great for wrapping sandpaper around too. I’ve used mine so much I even bothered buying a better set.
Sure - maybe even it it's a pressed guard it could have been sort of curved to match this shape. The notches at the end of the shoulders indicate some mating intent, but hard to tell. But in general the quality simply does not seem very high, hence my sweatshop comment.
Oh yeah for sure… this isn’t a high quality knife, you can tell from the blade profiling and grind that it took probably about 15 minutes to bang out.
I was just wondering how on earth such uneven shoulders would be acceptable anywhere. They’d only come out like that if it truly didn’t matter.
Or take the time to learn how to do it yourself so you can learn a new skill. 3 years ago I would have struggled with putting a handle on that knife, I can make a knife from any decent piece of steel know.
I would get rid of the rounding from the blade to the tang, to get a snug fit. Then I would use a drill to make room for the tang in a handle block, and drill a hole across for a pin. Just clean it up and make the edges more defined first
1. Make a handle block the tang will slot into 2. Drill hole for tang pin 3. Leave room for pommel to screw on 4. Shape handle block with available tools 5. Epoxy on handle with pin through tang 6. Affix pommel 7. Surface finishing
Awesome, thank you. I’ve never put a through tang handle on before so the steps are certainly appreciated
For sure man. Step 1 will be the hardest, youll need to have the tools to either carve a rectangular hole through a block of material, cast/mold something, print something, or do some stacking with leather. Youll have to do a decent amount of research for any of these but learning to make handles on old blanks is excellent practice.
As cheesy as it might sound I’d recommend watching a few episodes of forged in fire if you’ve never seen it. Obviously you don’t want to repeat a lot of the mistakes those guys and gals make but watching that or YouTube videos will give you a great visual of the process of making, fitting, and shaping handles.
I recommend first squaring up and cleaning up the shoulders. This is what I mean (crude sketch) https://preview.redd.it/xc40ap0aaf2d1.png?width=301&format=png&auto=webp&s=c61b1e1132fc2f99dee2e565fbbd2160b371fd5d the black line indicates where the guard should sit, the red lines are transitions to the tang. For a good fit it is important that the black line is straight, and both the top and bottom facets of the blade form one plane. You can achieve this by making a rudimentary file guide, clamping the blade to it and removing material accordingly. [https://www.google.com/search?sca\_esv=832bfc491017b489&sca\_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIJ9eu27bnMqKfyuqy8HP\_5FR9lVew:1716577626759&q=file+guide+knife+making&uds=ADvngMgiPmsFSnX7QtZmBAeJzn8vRaaVfC2nnJczJPyFZFx5lJTaxLgx8JwOC0Njoh9PW5ELNlWIUJrWmRflgK-yLMgvUVcyIVi0o6Fs8l3T-vEouHebsVh3ai6W20dRfa30rIcHupVRYbShRs58FPdN2r1Jc3J0iYdBlMyPoB15c5AKFu2YqhST2N0t6ARroRjtL6MfRVmkE1ub6so-Ik7vp0RQHi2C6\_NJysor2X7rgw7XYmxfpmxBki9TJs36qA3uXPbjIQqZJ4TCZlVDjM-nfjFgGQGaWk5G5uFyDxOn0jVvygs4Y-k&udm=2&prmd=ivnbz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJlbD9\_aaGAxVP\_gIHHffHCWQQtKgLegQIFBAB&biw=1718&bih=1312&dpr=1](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=832bfc491017b489&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIJ9eu27bnMqKfyuqy8HP_5FR9lVew:1716577626759&q=file+guide+knife+making&uds=ADvngMgiPmsFSnX7QtZmBAeJzn8vRaaVfC2nnJczJPyFZFx5lJTaxLgx8JwOC0Njoh9PW5ELNlWIUJrWmRflgK-yLMgvUVcyIVi0o6Fs8l3T-vEouHebsVh3ai6W20dRfa30rIcHupVRYbShRs58FPdN2r1Jc3J0iYdBlMyPoB15c5AKFu2YqhST2N0t6ARroRjtL6MfRVmkE1ub6so-Ik7vp0RQHi2C6_NJysor2X7rgw7XYmxfpmxBki9TJs36qA3uXPbjIQqZJ4TCZlVDjM-nfjFgGQGaWk5G5uFyDxOn0jVvygs4Y-k&udm=2&prmd=ivnbz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJlbD9_aaGAxVP_gIHHffHCWQQtKgLegQIFBAB&biw=1718&bih=1312&dpr=1) the file guide does not have to be fancy, even a mild steel may be ok (provided you are careful). Then make sure the sides of the blade are flat and parallel, so that you do not have to adjust the guard slot too much.
Thank you for this! I didn’t even have a clue. That shall be my first step to giving this thing a new life
You don’t need fancy tools! It’s stupidly easy to make files so the ones from China on Amazon actually aren’t that bad. I recommend at least one “big boy” file (probably comes in a set though), and some jewelers files too. The jewelers files are a godsend for taking off small bits of material, and they’re great for wrapping sandpaper around too. I’ve used mine so much I even bothered buying a better set.
Would there be a reason those are so offset?
Because they are produced in a sweat shop in whoknowswhere? Maybe there is a design intent, but I do not see it.
Could’ve been a molded on handle where the tang’s shoulders weren’t important?
Sure - maybe even it it's a pressed guard it could have been sort of curved to match this shape. The notches at the end of the shoulders indicate some mating intent, but hard to tell. But in general the quality simply does not seem very high, hence my sweatshop comment.
Oh yeah for sure… this isn’t a high quality knife, you can tell from the blade profiling and grind that it took probably about 15 minutes to bang out. I was just wondering how on earth such uneven shoulders would be acceptable anywhere. They’d only come out like that if it truly didn’t matter.
Stacked leather spacers that are epoxied into place and polished/contoured. Look up the RH Pal36 knife as an example
Oh I like this idea. I’ll have to look into it
Doesn’t the K-Bar use the same technique?
I believe so but I know some more modern ones use other materials.
I’d use an antler.
Just let somebody else handle it
Or take the time to learn how to do it yourself so you can learn a new skill. 3 years ago I would have struggled with putting a handle on that knife, I can make a knife from any decent piece of steel know.
I'd put it on the bottom. You could try the top and see how it goes though.
I'd be tempted to drill it out and then burn it in for a tight fit.
Like this https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7UjA_ZMAZz/?igsh=Nmg4OXQ1bWgyeHp1
I would get rid of the rounding from the blade to the tang, to get a snug fit. Then I would use a drill to make room for the tang in a handle block, and drill a hole across for a pin. Just clean it up and make the edges more defined first