Made Me a Handle Broach

[Cody Killgore]

Forged this out of some 1 x 3/16" flat bar 1095 I had for knives. Left a nice as-forged finish on it except the teeth which I cut later. I've been planning on making one of these as I'm just not happy with the one I bought. Someone on the bladesmiths forum posted up a couple of his and they inspired me.

If you don't know, these are used on hidden tang knives. After you drill the holes in the block of wood to be your handle, you can use this to expand it until the tang will fit. A lot of people use them but not many people sell them. Most people end up making their own.

First pic is how it left the forge.


Then after I put the handle on. It's not perfect and I could still spend more time sanding scratches out of the handle but it is a tool...

 

[barry richardson]

Very cool! Love making my own tools. Mine don't usually look as good as yours though...

 

[Foot Patrol]

Nice Cody. I need to make one of those myself.

 

[robert flynt]

Made one the lazy way. Took an old screw driver and shaped the blade a bit with the grinder and cut the the saw hooks in it. But the best way I have found is to use a extra long milling bit in a drimell or Fordom tool. it cuts through the wood super fast.

 

[ironman123]

Cool tool Cody.

 

[Cody Killgore]

Thanks guys. Not much more satisfying than making a tool that you will use. That is the reason I got into knifemaking to begin with (and boy was that a deep rabbit hole)

@robert flynt I know a lot of guys use sawzall blades that they grind some of the teeth off and attach a handle to. I really just wanted to have fun making it. I still need to figure out how you add that extension to your milling bit. That would be very handy.

 

[robert flynt]

I took piece of angleiron and laid it in the groove butted up with a the shaft of a broken bit then silver soldier them together. If I could clamp them perfectly straight so they couldn't move I would mig weld them together because the soldier will break if you put to much side pressure on it. Thinking about using my mini- metal lathe with a drill chuck on one end to hold them in a lined up position to wire weld them.