Peening knife handle properly.

[Hugo]

Help need on this project.
I am making a knife that is wood handle with a bit of brass as well with fibre spacer.
It will be glued together and as it is a full tang I will be peening it.
Question is, how to do the peening, do I glue it all together and peen the end at the same time or do I wait for the glue to dry before peening.
Me thinks do it all in one go but I await for better knowledge.

Cheers.

 

[Stew]

You say full tang but am I right in thinking you mine a stick tang blade with a tang that runs the full length?

I would peen while the glue is still wet to allow for compression.

 

[sasquatch]

I'd do it while the glue is wet as well. Lots of little gentle taps working clockwise then opposite repeatedly instead of bashing away quickly for a neat peen...

 

[the interceptor boy]

have a word with your mate Hugo, kepis, he did a nice birch and leather stack a few weeks ago. cheers

 

[Hugo]

Cheers fellas, yes I did mean stick tang Stew, thanks, interesting about working clockwise sasquatch thanks, that I will do mate.

Cheers.

 

[sasquatch]

You don't need to go clockwise exact, I just meant work in circles to get a neat uniform shape. You can switch directions and focus on areas that need it if need be. Pics of the finished product please!

 

[Hugo]

Pictures, are you trying to embarrass me sasquatch.
Indeed pictures will follow.
This knife is supposed to be my main user for the future so it is nothing special, but it is to me, if you know what I mean.

 

[sasquatch]

Yip, I know exactly what you mean. Just show pics of the peen if you're embarrassed to post the whole thing. Don't know what it is about peening but it's a very satisfying process when done well. Especially little wee ones on straight razor pins. Have fun!

 

[brancho]

Do you have a ballpein hammer to do it with.
The end of the tang needs to be soft not hardened if its hardened you will need to aneal it. Its just like rivetting really. The one I did the end of the tang was too long it only needs to be a couple of mm longer than the handle really.

Heres my bad attempt it worked out OK in the end I will be doing another soon.


Handle riveted top view by alf.branch, on Flickr