Jclonts82 Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 I've been asked to make a Bowie knife for a friend to give away as a gift for Christmas. I have some elk antler that I stabilized in red dyed cactus juice, and want to try that as the handle. My question: Those who have used antlers for a handle, how did/do you attach the tang, what style of tang etc...? My leading thought is to make a hidden tang, round, and cut threads into it and drill a smaller hole in the spongy looking antler marrow. Add epoxy and screw the tang in, having it cut its own threads in the antler, making a really tight fit. Is this easily feasible, or is there a much easier way that's just as secure? I will add pics of the stabilized antler piece tonight when I get home from work to help give a better visual. I really appreciate any input here. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Lots of different ways to mount an antler handle. More often than not a full antler handle is mated up with a hidden stick tang (as opposed to antler slabs on the side of a full tang). At times the tang is articulated with a hidden toggle joint so it can follow the curve of the antler. You will probably want to consider adding a metal bolster or front ferrule to protect the section of the antler closest to the blade, and possibly a but cap if you go with a thru tang. If the hidden tang is fully enclosed by the handle, you can get by with removing the soft pith and using a conventional epoxy and thru pin to make a secure joint (but if you have done a good job with the stabilization, the pith should already be impregnated and should be as hard as the epoxy would eventually set). If you go with a thru tang (hidden tang protruding out the butt of the handle), you can either make a decorative threaded nut to attach to the tang, or peen it over like a rivet. In either case I would recommend a metal butt cap. I've never heard of someone threading the epoxy as a secure method for making a joint between blade and handle. Does not sound particularly secure to me. Joe Keesler has an excellent book specifically on handles and guards which covers this topic quite well, will photos and illustrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share Posted November 7, 2017 A through tang and decorative nut/butt cap is a style that is right up my alley. Plus it' sounds much easier than screwing the handle on the tang. My idea on that was forge tang at say 3/8th round, run it through a threading die. then drill into the antler piece at say 5/16th , add thin epoxy and use the threaded tang to screw into the stabilized pith making its own threads as it crushes/expands the hole out, expoy to make it stay there. But a through tang design will allow for a better look and a more secure fit. Thank you, I appreciate that input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 You are very welcome. I would consider keeping the part of the tang inside the handle square or rectangular and broaching, rasping or filing the hole in the handle to suit. This will keep the handle from rotating if the epoxy joint fails for any reason. Good luck and please post a photo of the final product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 If you have the tang go all the way through the butt cap and peened over, you can do some fun stuff with it as decoration. For example, check out this offering from @templehound: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share Posted November 7, 2017 I'm thinking I will try a damascus nut to match the blade, I have a few cut-offs from random billets and it could look neat. I'm thinking forge square, , drill, tap, drill a perpendicular hole through the middle of one side, screw on the tang,, grind smoothe/rounded then use perpendicular hole as a leverage point to tighten once the square is rounded off... Imma sit and think about this for a good while before steel meets hammer though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 Said antler piece(s) fresh outta the cactus juice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Ooh, pretty. Hey, want a bit of wrought iron for the butt cap? I've got some bits of ¼" x 1¼" bar that would work nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 Wow, I really appreciate that offer, but being quite the newbie I would hate to screw up something someone else gave me! When I have more confidence in my skill set, then I might try utilizing someone else's stuff. Thank you for the offer though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted December 12, 2017 Author Share Posted December 12, 2017 After much trying and testing a few methods on test scraps of the antler and getting lots of varying ideas and results, I decided I should ask for the opinion of the one who wanted me to make it in the first place. He thought a through tang with big brass butt cap and even bigger brass guard would be appropriate for the end user. I sketched out a design and he kept saying bigger, longer, fatter... like something a gaudy pirate would carry... LOL In the end I restrained it as much as I could, I thought the guard was still too big, but we agreed. This is before final cleanup of the bevels and etch, without butt cap, but an update nonetheless. Its actually sitting in a vice curing the epoxy as I type at work. I will peen the tang tonight... after I practice with the piece I will cut off the end (tang sticks out about 1.5" past butt cap), since I've never done that before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 Reminds me of the old CASE mega bowies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted December 12, 2017 Author Share Posted December 12, 2017 More pics. I'm going to trim the kydex a little more, its late and I had enough of the black stuff flying in my face for one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 Have you tried making a small round ended punch, (think screwdriver shaft with a smooth rounded tip), to "seat" the edges of the pommel/guard snug against the steel? Done right it blends right in with the hammered look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted December 12, 2017 Author Share Posted December 12, 2017 That's a great idea! I will do that Consequently on @Frosty's common remark, the hammered look on the brass ended up being one of those 'happy accidents'. I had sanded and buffed the guard and pommel to a perfect mirror finish; while getting everything set up for a final fit before gluing, I knocked the guard off the table, tried to catch it, and dropped a heavy section of octagonal drill shaft right onto it... so a hammered finish it is. I ended up liking it more that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 If you start with a polished surface and use a polished hammer peen you end up pretty shiny, if you use a distressed peen you end up "textured"; lots of ways to go with it, random, concentric, diagonals, etc and so forth and they pretty much all hide imperfections Note that you can often see adjustments made on Japanese tsubas to fit different sword tangs done with a punch and then covered by the seppa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 13, 2017 Share Posted December 13, 2017 15 hours ago, Jclonts82 said: That's a great idea! I will do that Consequently on @Frosty's common remark, the hammered look on the brass ended up being one of those 'happy accidents'. I had sanded and buffed the guard and pommel to a perfect mirror finish; while getting everything set up for a final fit before gluing, I knocked the guard off the table, tried to catch it, and dropped a heavy section of octagonal drill shaft right onto it... so a hammered finish it is. I ended up liking it more that way. Like Bob Ross said, "There are no mistakes just happy accidents." I don't always agree but this one. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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