Dustin Quade Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 So last week i met up with a knife maker who had decided to get out of the field. He sold me some damascus billets and as i was leaving he asked me if i could replace a handle on a knife, i told him i was pretty sure i could so he went inside and brought out a beautiful damascus knife with a guard and butt cap also damascus. The handle material was stacked sections of wood and brass but the glue had come loose on the pieces so it was all spinning around the tang and was essentially useless. So i took it home and took the handle off but now that i see the tang it is insanely thin, like the width of a pipe cleaner. Looking at it i just feel like it would never stand up to use as a knife for anything but show. So i thought about cutting the whole thing off and welding on a new tang entirely. Any thoughts on this? I guess pros and cons really. Like would my weld make for a weaker tang than just leaving it in its current state? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Quade Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 I only have a pic of the knife when i got it. I will take a picture of the knife with the handle removed tonight. In the picture attached the handle would spin around the tang from the black section second from the guard and the first black section from the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Quade Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 This is the knife with the old handle removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheoRockNazz Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Ohhhh yeah, looks like you got some Pakimascus if you ask me. That knife is never going to be any more than a wallhanger, and could be dangerous to the wielder and onlookers if ever actually used. To be honest, before we even approach how to repair this guy I want to see pictures of the damascus billets he sold you... I'm worried they might end up being as useless as this knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Quade Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 Sure here is a link where i posted some pictures of them.I spark tested some pieces and they spark high carbon. other than a spark test how can you tell good from bad? http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/44535-damascus-pattern-identification/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheoRockNazz Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 To be honest, those pictures are not encouraging... Best way to test would be to harden and temper one of those bars, then see if a file skates off or bites. Harden and temper a good piece of tool steel so you have something to compare it to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Quade Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 Alright il give it a shot. I have some O1 steel kicking around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 The shame of it is that it's a rather pretty blade on the end of a totally inadequate tang. Have you thought of grinding a half tang from the lower part of the blade, making the whole thing shorter but much more useable? Or does he insist on keeping the full blade? If the latter, I'd suggest brazing a mounting lug onto the back of the blade and permanently fastening it to a wall plaque. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Quade Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 I actually hadn't thought to do that but yea i might just make a smaller knife from the blade portion if the steel test goes well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 I'm not a knife guy so this suggestion may seem off the wall but: 1) grind the thickness of the blade back to the start of the thumb cut out at the same angle as the guard. 2.) reshape the reground portion to a width which will make a decent handle, 3.) Tig weld or silver solder mild steel or bronze pieces to reinforce the handle, You would lose the finger cut out but save the majority of the blade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Tig weld a more substantial tang to it; preheating and drawing temper afterwards Remember all that 512 layer stuff that came around some time ago from a US manufacturer that did the same to their pattern welded blades? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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