In another thread somebody mentioned that you need to make sure the tang doesn't stick out too much or too litte from the end of the pommel when you intend to peen it. Is there a general legnth it should be, or does it vary by peice?

Also, while I'm asking questions, does anybody have any good suggestions on how to "hold" the sword while you peen the tang? Last time I hammered on a sword it slipped in the vice and the point was embedded in my driveway.


Thank you,


Tim

It depends on how much space you have to fill. If the tang is a close fit to the hole in the pommel or nut/block, then even a narrow countersink should be fine, which means you wouldn't need more than about 1/8" for a flush peen.

I use a cheap medium-size bench vise with rubber jaw pads on a SOLID workbench. Once I get the sword clamped tightly I can smack away. It might shift downward a small amount, so I clamp about 2" below the cross to allow for drift.

On his website (in the various instructions sets for his English Cutler assemble-it-yourself knives and daggers), Tod of Tod's Stuff recommends leaving about a millimeter for peening. Of course, that's on daggers/knives, not on swords and he also recommends helping secure things with epoxy. So swords may very well require more. If you intend to counter-sink the peen that may mean something else as well.

These in-progress photos will give some idea of what I have found to be appropriate for a pre-peen tang length. You can just barely see the amount of tang protruding on the unfinished pieces. It's harder to see the countersink of the block on the Type XIV project, but it's there. The Type XIV is peened flush, of course, so you can't see the peen. The riding sword is peened over the modified original threaded nut. I don't think I countersunk that--preferring just to peen over the top of the nut.

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Thank you all for the information. I'm glad I asked because I would have ended up doing it with way too much sticking out!