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Main Boards => Hunting Knives and Crafters => Topic started by: razorback on June 21, 2010, 08:35:00 PM

Title: Antler handle question
Post by: razorback on June 21, 2010, 08:35:00 PM
I have a short blade 2 1/4" with a file tang for the handle. I am planning on either a necker or an arm guard knife. I want to use an antler tine as the handle. Question is how doe you attach these to a tapered file tang.

I was thinking of cutting it short, filing to a somewhat consistent dia, drilling a hole and epoxying it in place.

Please help.  :pray:
Title: Re: Antler handle question
Post by: Steve Nuckels on June 21, 2010, 08:53:00 PM
Tony, with my limited experience, you could just epoxy it as you planed, and file groves and or drill small holes in the tang and clamp for a firm fit.  Or drill and pin the tang with epoxy.  I would use a long setting/curing epoxy.

I'm going to epoxy and clamp, see the post frontier knife WIP.

Hope that helps!

Steve
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Potomac Forge
Title: Re: Antler handle question
Post by: chris amos on June 23, 2010, 02:28:00 AM
You can do it anyway you like, thats the beauty of doing it yourself! But if it was me I would drill a pilot hole in the antler and file the hole out to match the taper of the file tang, this will make for the strongest tang. Rough it up a bit with another file or hacksaw to get a good surface for your epoxy to stick to and glue it in. I don't clamp my handles when I glue them, if they are glued under pressure its just one more chance for somthing to "let go" at the worst possible moment. Just my two cents.