John Andrews
Well-Known Member
That's my thinking, too. An exibition grade piece of handle material is going to lose some when cut for a full tang. A fella can match up the pieces to look pretty good, but that only goes so far because of the missing center section that ends up as sawdust.There are makers that work wonders with full tang knives, there is no doubt. But imho, hidden tang knives present a greater challenge as well as more options in the finished product.
When I take a prized piece of horn or stabilized burl from the shelf, looking to see if it works with a new damascus bowie I'm working on, the thought of cutting it up, not using it in its natural state just doesn't come to mind . Why cut up perfection?
Barring flaws in the steel, properly hidden pins and using good epoxy will result in a strong enough handle for a user knife. Most of my clients use their knives and I haven't heard any complaints. I have been making a number of hidden tangs for over 20 years, off and on.
For full tangs, I use hidden pins. I don't like defacing a good looking handle with visible pins.