# Question on hidden tang knives



## Texasstate (Mar 2, 2018)

Can anyone school me on hidden tang knife making ???

Any help would be greatly appreciated ?

Not sure how to cleanly cut the slot for the tang


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## Strider (Mar 2, 2018)

Burn it! Heat up the tang until it is glowing red hot and burn the perfect fit inside the handle hole (which should, for the safety, be tightly gripped in a vice). 
If not, use small chisels or a needle saw to do it. 
Unfortunately for the bolster...only drilling and filing allowed. I wish I could burn a nice fit through brass ^^

Reactions: Like 1


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## robert flynt (Mar 2, 2018)

I drill a hole where the center of the tang will be with an extra long bit then slot the hole with a sheetrock bit or a extra long cut router bit in a Fordom or Dremil tool. You can also grind down and shape a screw driver until it has a claw on the end. It can be used to elongate the drilled hole. If the slotted hole is not deep enough you can use something to burn the hole deeper. It is probable is ok but I don't like to use the knife tang to burn the hole. Some times burning the slot completely will cause the wood to split.

Reactions: Informative 4


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## Jack "Pappy" Lewis (Mar 4, 2018)

I agree with Robert burning into the wood will cause fractures to occur, now if you are using say Ram's Horn where there is plenty of meat inside you can burn, but stay away from heat on wood, the difference in the cellular make up due to the heat will cause you to scratching your head.


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## Schroedc (Mar 4, 2018)

I've ground down some sawzall blades to use as a broach for making the slot and they work pretty well, drill a hole in the center of where you want to be and then use the shaped blade to drag away at the top and bottom until it's the right size.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## robert flynt (Mar 5, 2018)

You will be surprised how hard it is to burn a tang hole in very hard wood. It doesn't burn that easy and putting pressure on it will split it even more easily.


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## milkbaby (Mar 6, 2018)

Japanese kitchen knives are often burned in but with handles made of ho wood which is relatively light and soft. Many western kitchen knife makers use dowel construction on hidden tang knives. Basically drill a big hole for a soft dowel, often pine, which is slotted. So when you burn in the tang, it's into the slotted soft wood dowel, and you're not risking cracking the hard wood handle.

Reactions: Informative 2


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