Handle pin placement?

[Alex Dorris]

Hey all, I feel like this must have been covered somewhere, but I couldn't seem to find it.

I'm designing a medium/large fighter/Bowie, and I was wondering how you guys decide where to put your pins on a full tang knife- do you just make sure they're centered and an equal distance from each other?

This particular knife is gonna have three 1/4" pins

[Caleb Harris]

I'd put the two pins at either end first, then the third either halfway in between the two or use the golden ratio to put it closer to the blade-end pin. For the first two pins situate them so they look to be in the thickest or most meaty section of the handle.

[Guest guest T]

+1 to that,

Choose a good distance say 3/4 on an inch from either end of the handle material and one in the middle of the two pins.

[B. Norris]

My approach is to center the middle pin, which effectively divides the tang into two, equal, parts. Then center each remaining pin in the corresponding half. Sketch it out on paper first because, sometimes it doesn't look right and needs to be a little off-center to appear correct

 

Bruce

[Kevin Colwell]

I use both approaches mentioned above. They are about the same, but slightly different. The first gives the pins closer to the ends, usually (and that is a little stronger). The second is better for a longer handle, for me.

 

Of course, six pins, around the edges, at the same spacing apart relative to the long axis of the handle as where you would have put the 3 (only they would have to be 1/8" each instead of 1/4") is a LOT stronger mechanically even though there is less pin material holding everything.

 

Even with placement in the middle, you are trying to balance getting the pins in a lot of meat in the handle and getting them as close to the edge as feasible, because that will best guard against shear forces popping your scales off.

 

hope you don't mind the long answer, I realize you probably already know this. I just got carried away. caffeine.

kc