Joe,
Chuck pretty well covered the pifalls that I know about...I thought to add this one "watchout"...
"Watchout" for old straight grip muzzleloading trigger guards with that little finial at the front....they can usually be had for around 20 to 35 bucks depending on engraving...they are fairly common and can't be used for much else. (Ebay)
I simply harvest as much of the tang as I need, and was even able to use the engraving to my advantage once...it saves you from having to shape the point and drill/countersink the screw hole...together with the increased likelyhood that the bluing will take properly, makes it worth the extra $25...if you're lucky enough to work in some recycled engraving, then it's really worth the extra effort of hunting one up.
