Bowie help

[David Johansen]

I am in the process of making my first bowie and am shooting for a full guard and a hidden tang handle without a butcap with just one pin showing. Many makers here make knives of this style and I have looked for tutorials on this but have not found them. I think I understand the basic process but am unsure on the 1 pin. Is there a hidden pin anywhere normally or just make sure the fit is good and snug and then one is enough? Thanks for any help on this!!!!

[tmickley]

One visible pin is plenty as the hole will also be filled with epoxy. The handle will probably outlast the blade.

[Ray Rogers]

One pin is enough if it's done right. It was good enough for a lot of those old Katanas and it has worked great on an 18" bladed field knife I made some years ago. It is a good idea to use some handle material that will not easily split if the knife is abused.

For me, the real key to making a single pin work is to get the pin to pull the handle down as the pin is tapped in. To do this, I fit the handle closely to the guard and then drill the hole for the pin through the handle and the tang. You may have to change drill bits if the tang is not soft enough but you'll get it done.

At this point, any pin you put in the handle will never be tight. The trick is to put a thin spacer in front of the handle. I use the standard red fiber material which is about .030 thick. This causes mis-alignment of the handle and tang holes.

Now, get your Dremel and carefully cut some metal from the rear of the tang hole and then try to tap your pin theough the handle and the tang. I said TAP! Do not HAMMER or force the pin. The force this systems brings to bear on the handle material is enormous and it will split your handle. So, tap the pin with a mallet while holding the knife in your hand. If the pin stops, dis-assemble and remove a little more metal and try again. When you can tap the pin through the handle while hlding the knife in your hand using a series of firm taps you'll have about the right amount of pressure pulling the handle into the guard.

The final step is to fill the handle with epoxy and assemble one last time. After the glue sets, grind the pins flat and finish the handle.....

[DanCrabtree]

Here is my very unorthodox way of fitting the tangs for my bowies. Im a firm beliver in the strength of epoxy. I take the knife and heat the very tip of the tang up to a cherry red. btw i leave my tangs very thick and rectangular. I then take the material im using and shove it down on the tang and it starts to burn a very uniform square hole. I do this until i reach the guard. then i take it off. Clean the inside out wiht a small file or something to scrape the loose charred wood off. Then I grind the handle to shape, if im doing a D guard, otherwise I wait till later to shape handle. Then I fill the hole with epoxy and let it dry. Or if I feel like putting a pin on i will go out the back of the tang and make a small rivet over the top of a quarter or round peice of metal.

[cactusforge]

I don't use a pin. I don't think it is necessary if you use good epoxy, not the kind that you find in most hardware stores. I use a epoxy called 220 that is used in the Jewelry Industry. I have done a lot of tests and never found that it failed even heat, I tried to remove a stag crown by heating it to 350 deg. for several hr. and still had to use a hammer to remove the antler. And my hole in the handle is not precise by any standard. I do use a furniture clamp that has been modified to put pressure on the knife and handle in assembly. Gib

[David Johansen]

Thanks for the info everyone!!! That is just what I was looking for! I'll post the results when I am done.

[Crex]

Now you did forge that blade didn't you?
I do "burn in" my hidden tangs for a tight fit. I use high grade epoxy as Gib recommended. I put the pin in for the "customer" but don't feel it's a mechanical must.
My handles have to be destroyed to get them off. You can ask how I know but it's pretty obvious.
How's everything out there in Utah friend?

[David Johansen]

Good to hear from you Carl!!! I am afraid I ground this one. It's too cold here right now for that. At least for me as I have no indoor place to do it. This spring I plan on doing a lot more pounding though. I also plan on burning the handle on and then drilling the pin. How is that dagger you showed me when I came out? It sure was beautiful. When the carving on the sheath is done please let us see it!!!

Thanks to the info from Gib I am ordering some of the 220 epoxy. Until now I have just used the home depot variety.

I also plan on trying Ray Rogers method of using a spacer to get a tight fit.

In other words I will be incorporating everyones advice on this one! That's what I love about this place. So many knowledgable people willing to share that knowledge!! Thanks again!!

[peregrine]

Modern Epoxy's are great. I use J-B weld. (Not the quick set). It is rated for heat, resistant to chemicals and hard as rock. I have intentionally tore handles off knives after glueing them but I always needed a good chisel, hammer and totally had to distroy the horn handle to remove it. Put a pin in if you want to...but it is not a HAVE TO. (My opinion.)

[Crex]

Can't go wrong with the industrial strength stuff. I often use the 220 to make up doublets and triplets when I'm mounting thin flashy opal to crystal quartz and a black or colored backing stone. Good lapidary stores carry both 220 and 330 for us rockheaded stone cutters.
Mark decided the wire inlay might be a little chancey once he saw the sheath (no blame, I wouldn't try it either). I dropped back and punted (actually did a little peripheral carving). If you want a look go over to www.georgiaknifemakersguild.com go to page two in the Gallerys section. I'm about half way down and it's in there somewhere.
Make sure you anneal the tang well. Nothing worse than a skating drill bit in nice handle material! If you opt to drop the pin, file a few shallow notches back near the end of the tang for the glue to lock on to.

[David Johansen]

Well thanks to all your help I finished up the bowie and it worked out really nice! I posted it in the display case with the title first bowie. I poste it about a week ago so it is probably down a ways now.

Carl, thanks for the link! I have been wanting to see some more of your work and that was sure a treat. That dagger turned out really sweet!!