Knive Making: Fitting The Scales To The Tang

First, using a new 80-grit belt, make the inside surface of the scales perfectly flat by pressing against the flat belt support on the sander. I usually flip the scales inside out first, because the planed surface of the stock's outside is flatter and smoother than the band-sawed split inside, producing a perfectly smooth, flat surface to join to the tang.

Be sure that the belt is crossing the belt support smoothly. I had to weld a thin piece of steel on top of my machine's support to make it high enough to stretch the belt smoothly across its face. When you push the slab against the sander, hold it with two hands, one at each end of the slab. If you use one hand, press very lightly. This insures even, steady pressure against the belt. It is very easy to ruin a scale by bowing it from too much pressure in the middle. Check the flatness by putting both slabs together and holding them up to the light.

Carefully clean the tang with the belt grinder. If there is a bolster, be sure to clean right up to the brass. Now, place the scales onto the tang and hold the handle up to the light to see if there are any spaces. The tang may have slight waves you had not noticed until now. Hammer them out. Or there may be a slight, almost imperceptible twist in the tang which prevents the scales from seating correctly. Remove it by untwisting with a vise and wrench.

It is essential to the function and the appearance of the finished knife that there be no gaps between the scale and tang. Epoxy will completely fill any gap, but it will be unsightly and possibly weaker. This is one of the features people study when considering the purchase of a knife.

Unless you are fitting the scales against a metal bolster or finger guard, bevel the end of the slabs nearest the blade. This area will be very difficult to work once it is against the shank, so finish this area now.

Put the two together and hold them tightly as one unit and bevel them very carefully against the wheel of the sander. Start with about an 80-grit belt, then the 120-grit and finish with about a 240-grit belt. Turn the scales over and fair down the outsides to just slightly thicker than you will want them in the finished knife. Hold them evenly as you did when you flattened the insides.

Trim the inside of the bolster area with a file so it's neat and clean and perfectly square to receive the slabs.

Fitting the scales to a knife with a bolster is, of course, a little tricky. Hopefully you cut the pieces slightly oversize. Carefully grind down the end of each scale with an 80-grit belt until it precisely fits against the bolster. Use a file to get them exact. If you have made the scales a little too long to start with, you have room for error and can trim a little off here and there until it fits exactly. Hold it up to the light and see if there are any gaps between scale and bolster. Grind off the tips of the bolster so they are flush with the handle material.

If the scale must fit between a bolster and a butt, the job is more difficult because there is no room for mistakes. You have to get it on the first try, or you will quickly find that the scale has become too short, and you have to start over again with another piece.

The butt-plate handle is more difficult and should not be attempted until you have mastered the bolster-only model.