WraithsNinja Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Do you harden and ht the tang when doing a sword? Might seem like a stupid question but I've seen video of people hardening just the blade, does this give any advantages? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I feel that a blade is more likely to fail at the transition between the hardened sections and the non hardened sections. So I am carefull about when I choose to do that, I prefer to fully harden and differentially temper the tang dead soft. But also remember the japanesse have been doing differential hardening for centuries, and they seem happy with it, so I cant say 100% that its wrong to do it either.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 The tang is the weakest poin of the blade, also takes the most force. With steel, hard is brittle soft is strong. It doesn't take too long to find blades that broke at the point where the tang and blade meet. Why, usually poor design and a tang that has been hardened. The master bladesmith knows how to get the most from the steel he works with and can use that to his advantage. Part of that is a tang that isn't hardened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Harden and extra temper the tang up and slightly past the ricasso shoulders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKrzysz Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I have seen many historical blade from a guy who fixes old swords for a living, many of them show a forge welded tang of soft wrought iron. Many of these where wootz blades as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanshin Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Harden and extra temper the tang up and slightly past the ricasso shoulders. Sam has it right. I have been making practice swords for full contact fighters for some years and I have to say that it is impossible to make some tecniques especially from german sword fighting between 1400 - 1500 without an hardened tang. Some kind of movements make your tang bend exactly under the hilt if it is not hardened (the tang). Although, the HT has to be softer right after the ricasso shoulders or it will break there. Plus, remember to have no sharp corner between the tang and the blade because that will cause a crack. Francesco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I mostly build brush choppers and not killamajiggers, but they take plenty of force impacting seasoned oak. I leave tangs unhardened, immersion quenching point-down, but I move the blade up and down as I quench, leaving glowing red steel above the level of the oil. That way I don't get a sharp delineation in hardness, but a gradually changing hardness from the base of the blade to a few inches up the tang. Of course, most of my tangs are actually integral socket handles. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WraithsNinja Posted May 17, 2013 Author Share Posted May 17, 2013 Thanks for all the input guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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