Burning a handle?

[Soonerlongbow]

What's the best reasons for and against on a threaded tang blade?

[Ray Hammond]

burning a tang hole in a handle block, I assume is what you are asking for .02 cents on?

The biggest concern I have is that many woods can get really tortured by all that heat....

It's certainly not the first choice of most pro makers.  I like drilling through...or mortised handles better personally.

[TrackerNy]

I would drill a hole first and use a handle brouch to draw a slot to insert the tang.

[Lin Rhea]

In most cases, a maker can manage to get the channel cut with other means.

If I were to burn it in, I would only use this method on a wood handle. I have done it but prefer other means.

When I do burn the tang in, I make a slightly undersized mock tang of mild steel and use that instead of the actual knife tang. There needs to be a guide hole drilled. Once the entrance hole is cut/drilled and enlarged, I heat only the tip of the mock tang and push it in and remove it quickly. If you heat the whole length of the mock tang, you will cook the wood around the entrance.

I use this means sometimes as a starting method and finish the process of fitting using broaches so as to remove the scorched and charred lining.

As with any method, this takes practice. Poorly done will certainly ruin or weaken the wood.

I believe this method is borrowed from old practices where handles were fit to tapered tang tools such as wood chisels and draw knives.