Fitting a guard on a hidden tang knife: What you need to know

Struggling to get a perfectly fitted guard on your hidden tang knife without a milling machine or fancy shop tools? In this video, I’ll show you my complete, no-nonsense process using only basic hand tools and things most knifemakers already have in the shop. We’ll cover everything from laying out the slot, opening it up accurately, achieving that zero-gap fit you’re chasing, and locking the guard in place so it never moves—even on hard-use knives. No expensive jigs, no power tools you don’t already own, just reliable techniques that work every time. Whether you’re a beginner who’s tired of sloppy guard fits or an experienced maker looking for a simpler workflow, this method will level up your hidden tang game fast. Drop your questions in the comments if you want tips on your specific build ! Let’s make it fit like it grew there. 🔪 00:00 - intro 00:57 - Key number 1 03:28 - Key number 2 04:29 - Marking the guard for drilling 08:15 - Drilling the guard 09:12 - Filing the slot in the guard 09:57 - Key number 3 12:28 - Key number 4 14:57 - Key number 5 17:53 - Bonus tip - squaring up the guard 19:36 - outro