Question for you creative types (knife making)

[mcantar18c]

So, I'm making a knife for my buddy's wedding gift. I know the blade looks not so great, I'm only about halfway done with it.
I need to figure out how to secure the blade into the handle (elk antler) without cutting or breaking it, but have it be strong enough to last him years. Any ideas?





Not sure why there's an exclamation point next to the thread... blaming it on the phone.

[merl]

I'd be looking at pins through the shank of that file and the antler and a little recessing so the blade comes out about where the text is. That plus the whole thing filled with JBweld. You going to cap the end of the antler where the blade comes out?

But I'm just some guy... haven't made a blade since I was a kid

[mcantar18c]

I was thinking about that, only problem I see is the bone possibly cracking around the pin holes over time. Also I'm not sure how to make the pins fit snug.
I'm planning on grinding up and drilling a slot in a piece of file to use as a hilt.

[BPTactical]

Not to bust your bubble but knives as a wedding gift are bad ju-ju.
Old wives tale, superstition or what ever you call it.
I was going to make a pair of nice knives for my sisters wedding. My mom informed me under no uncertain terms that knives were inappropriate as a wedding gift.
The superstition goes that you are never to give anything that can sever a relationship as a gift.
If you do give an edged item as a gift, make sure the recipient "buys" it for a penny.





Seriously.


Bed the shank in a quality slow set epoxy-file notches in the shank so the epoxy keys into it well. Make a brass or German Silver hilt and use either brass pins or German silver pins(depending on the hilt) through the handle after the epoxy has cured.
This will minimize cracking but it may still happen, just the nature of an organic handle material.

[Holger Danske]

Please post pics of the final product. I would like to know how it turns out.

[ChadAmberg]

Is that from one of those knife kits you can get? They look pretty cool, considering doing that myself one day.

[spqrzilla]

Rough up the tang and epoxy it.

[Troublco]

Bed the shank in a quality slow set epoxy-file notches in the shank so the epoxy keys into it well. Make a brass or German Silver hilt and use either brass pins or German silver pins(depending on the hilt) through the handle after the epoxy has cured.
This will minimize cracking but it may still happen, just the nature of an organic handle material.

This.

Don't know about the other part, but this is how I'd go, too. Especially if you get epoxy that will cure clear; if you get JB in the pores of the handle you'll play hell getting it out.