If you are building a knife that has a rat tail tang, you’ll need to make a handle for it. It’s easy to do and can be very attractive.
A rat tail tang, also known as a stick tang, is a classic way to connect the blade to a handle. The part of the tang that extends past the end of the handle can be used as a hammer pommel.
Antler
Antler is an excellent material for knife handles and can be cut into many different shapes and sizes. They are also very hard and resilient, making them ideal for flint knapping.
The first step is to pick out a piece of antler that is long enough to fit the tang of your blade. It should be about 1 to 2 inches longer than the blade.
Next, heat up the piece of antler in boiling water to soften it. Then, place the antler over the end of your tang and lightly hammer it into place.
If there is more than 3-4mm protruding from the antler, you will need to saw this off and make it shorter.
Once you have made your handle the way you want it, sand it down to 1000 grit. You can then put super glue on it, if you like. After this process you will have a beautiful, decorative handle.
Wood
If you want to make a handle for your rat tail knife from wood, there are several simple ways. One of the easiest and most attractive is to use antler.
Antler is easy to find and if you have a good piece of antler, it will work well. Just drill a hole and add the blade.
Another popular way to make a handle is to make a slot for the tang. This is a common style for Scandinavian knives and can be very attractive.
Some people have been known to burn the slot instead of forming it out of pewter or epoxy. It does take a little more work, but it is a great option for making a very attractive handle.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is a very strong, lightweight material that can be used to make everything from Formula One racing cars to high-end sporting equipment and yachts. It’s also an extremely modern looking material that’s become popular in luxury goods, such as clothing, shoes and accessories.
When carbon fiber was first developed, it was based on a polymer called polyacrylonitrile, or PAN. However, the manufacturing process wasn’t very efficient or cost-effective until Japanese researchers Shindo and Watt invented a better precursor that allowed for mass production.
Despite the fact that this was a breakthrough in manufacturing, these fibers still didn’t perform as well as they should have. This was because the initial precursors that Shindo and Watt worked with were too weak to be used for structural purposes, and they were also very expensive.
This prompted researchers to find another starting material that could be manufactured more efficiently, and they did so by working with aramid fibers. The result was a very strong fiber that was much more suitable for structural use, and this is where the development of carbon fibers began.
Steel
There are a few different ways to make a handle for a rat tail knife. One is a full tang, which uses more stock material and stretches across the full length of the handle.
This type of handle construction is typically used on knives that are intended for hard work, as they tend to be the most durable and sturdy. They are also generally heavier and more weighty than partial tang blades.
Another type of handle construction is a partial tang, which is much thinner than a full tang and requires less stock material. These knives are often cheaper to manufacture and require little polishing, reducing costs.
A third type of handle construction is a hidden tang. These are fastened to the handle so that you cannot see how they are attached and the mechanism is not visible on the surface of the handle.