These are a couple of Malaysian parangs in the style popularised by Ray Mears.
I was asked to put a handle on one the same as the large one shown.
The tangs are extremely short. While I don't mind a short stick tang on smaller knives, I think something longer is required on a chopper. I did suggest in this instance that I could weld an extension to the tang but the request was to make it a full tang.
So a bit of a jump forward after a bit of cutting and welding of a piece of mild steel....
and then grinding it back so the curve at the rear is in the right place.
Compared against the new owners hand (quite a size difference between the two of us!)
I then fit some pieces of Laburnum that I've had seasoning for a number of years, with a spacer of micarta to extend the curve at the back down. I had left lots of material to reduce down later.
and then, disaster!
Back to it after Christmas I did some rough shaping down...
but then flipping it over, gaps have appeared. It was glued solid and tight before - I believe that my very cold garage has caused pieces to move.
Extremely frustating but those scales have now been boiled off ready for new ones.
Laburnum soup!
Read More..