Darn,
I've seen that method in a set of knife-making videos. They drill a pilot hole for the tang, then get the tang really really hot with a torch, and let the hot tang shape the inside of the handle by burning it. This was done as part of the final assembly, after the blade had been heat treated, so the result was a tang that was left in the very very soft, air cooled condition. (I wanted to scream at my T.V.) In composite swords, such as early Viking or migration era stuff, where they used wrought iron for the tang (or so I hear), the tangs are very large and thick. Soft steel just can't hold up in a thin, narrow tang. It won't survive the shock loading of an impact, because there's a big, heavy pommel on the end.
It works for knives, but not for swords.
If they're going to use this method of burning the inside of the handle, they ought to mill out a seperate piece of steel, with the same dimensions as their tangs, and use it for the burning process. Or they could switch to some sort of broaching, filing, or even gluing operation to make their handles.
I'm sure it's an oops that they'll correct. I'd just straighten the tang and heat treat it again. You must be having a very down day <img src="/forum/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" /> On my first expensive sword I ended up welding in major tang reinforcement. Unfortunately I didn't extend it all the way to the shoulder of the blade, so it bent there instead.
Best Regards,
George Turner
