Hello again. Did the by-knives and forks on Scottish dirks from the mid-18th century and earlier ever have slab tangs, or were they exclusively hidden-tang? I've come across a knife with a slab tang that I think would look good in that capacity if the grip were reshaped a bit, but I have yet to find a readymade blade with a hidden tang that would look quite right.

It is impossible to say that all dirks had hidden tangs because we simply haven't seen them all! However, I have never seen one that did not have the hidden tang and I have looked at a lot of them.

Understood. I'm not asking about dirks themselves, but about the small knives and forks often paired with them -- however, for myself, much the same could be said about those. I'm just hoping others have more knowledge than me.

Okay, thanks.

On the off chance... would you happen to know of any knife or fork blanks currently on the market that look reasonably close? The closest thing I've found with a hidden tang are old-fashioned Jagdnickers, but their integral bolsters always include prominent finger guards that I'm not sure I could grind down cleanly.

Afraid I cannot be of much help. Stop making knives over five years ago and never could find a satisfactory source for the type of blade you are searching for. Best bet is the Internet and one source you might want to check out is Crazy Crow Trading Post. They do sell quite a variety of blades with hidden tangs. There was another I used for all kinds of raw materials including blades but I don't have anything relating to them now. I seem to remember it being called "Knife and Firearm Supply" or something very much like that. Perhaps some other members will chime in.

I wish you luck Dan.

Found it....www.knifeandgun.com

Thanks again. I've noticed that a number of sites (including both the ones you mention) carry variations of a small clip point with a flat grind that could work if one modifies the shape of the clip. There also seem to be some period knives that look pretty much like table knives but with pointed... uh, points, instead of rounded ones.

Personally, I prefer a blade with a shoulder, like the attached one. If nothing "perfect" turns up, I think I'll probably go with a Jagdnicker blade and just practice on scrap metal a lot before trying to grind down the finger guard. It'll still have that distinctive thickened shoulder, but if there's nothing perfect, then that's how it's got to be.

A good fork is also proving elusive. There are some costly antiques on eBay, also newer ones that have a flat sheet-metal look. I acquired one of these Crazy Crow ones a while ago. Had a thought of cutting it off with an angle grinder where the scales begin, working the middle section down to a rod, and silver-soldering a threaded extension on a long scarf joint. That sound reasonable?

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That does sound like a possible way to solve the problem. I have found a two tine fork for you and you may have already looked at it and rejected the item. It is sold by www.townsends.us and is part of a knife and fork set. It really looks good but has a full tang. Still, your idea for the Crazy Crow item would probably work for this one as well.

Looks good. But, I just stumbled across one on eBay that appears to have a hidden tang and is going for cheap, so I'm going to give that one a try.

The slab-tang forks and knives might make a good basis for a Saxon hunting trousse, since some of the older ones seem to be constructed that way.

Well, I examined a number of old pickle forks but I eventually settled on cutting the handle off a Crazy Crow fork and getting a threaded rod welded on. I'm satisfied with where it is; just need an opportunity to take the lathe outside and shape the grip (it being rosewood, I don't want to do that part indoors).

Anyone know where to find a passable knife blade? 'Cause I'm kinda stuck. I'd like it to be a bit on the heavy side and have a shoulder.

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You could grind the tang of this one as needed: https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/461/1/KNIFE-RB

Thank you. I'll look into it.

Seigen gaucho-style blade 4.88" long, should go well with a large, broad-bladed dirk. More distal taper than I'd like, but it does start at a good 3mm. The slightly square bolster will need to be ground to a more circular shape and I should probably get rid of that little thickened bump on the shoulder, which is a sort of proto-finger guard that I've never seen on an 18th-century knife, although it does make the shoulder much more comfortable against the forefinger.

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That’s a great looking blade!