Hunting Knife Restoration Tips Sought

[Chris Evans]

Originally Posted by Rick

... although I would bet these are no newer than mid 20th century .
Maybe the leather dried out at some point .

I bought mine in the 1950s.... Sigh....

Chris, it would be nice if the value of these hunters was worth having a pro restore them; but here in the US I think professional restoration would be more a labor of love .

Financially speaking, I do not think that they would be worth the money involved, but as a memento of yesteryear, well, that is a personal decision to make.

Cheers
Chris

[Shakethetrees]

You need a screwdriver that fits the brass pommel nut. Grind a "U"shaped groove in the center deep enough to fully engage the slots on either side of the tang and unscrew. When you grind this, make sure the screwdriver blade is kept cool or you'll lose the temper!

I would take note of the fiber, brass, horn, (or whatever), spacers and use some CA cement (superglue) to fix them into alignment. Do this away from the antler grip. Make sure alignment is perfect and let the glue wick in between the layers. Once it has set this can be handled like a single unit and glued to the antler.

After the blade has been cleaned and polished to whatever degree you prefer, stack everything back as before and screw the brass nut down snugly enough to where the pommel won't turn.

This type of restoration does not involve any real tricks or technique, just forethought and a bit of elbow grease. Work slower rather than faster and constantly check your progress.

Oh, and use hot wax on the whole piece...

Then,

You're done!

[A. G. Maisey]

A lot of good advice has already been given for restoration of this knife, what I can add is really only fine tuning.

Disassemble by unscrewing the retaining nut in the pommel, it is really essential to disassemble the knife because you need to clamp the blade into a vice to effectively polish it.

Use abrasive paper to restore the blade surfaces; I would start with 1200 wet & dry paper and see if this has an effect or not, if no effect you work backwards through the grades until you get a result, then you go back through the grades and finish with worn 1200 W&D paper. There are other specialist metal finishing papers that can be used, but if I were doing this job I'd leave it at worn 1200 W&D.

The basic principle in using abrasives to polish metal is that you use each decrease in abrasion to remove the marks of the previous grit, and you finish the polish along the length of the object.

This means that in something that is in pretty crappy condition you might begin with say, a 120 grit along the length, then you reduce grit to 240, or maybe only 180 and you sand across the marks left by the previous grit, then you might go down to something like 300 grit and sand along the length of the blade, and so on until you get down to 1200 used along the length, followed by worn 1200 along the length.

You use the paper on a rubbing stick for flat surfaces, you use your fingers or a pencil eraser shaped to the curve for curved surfaces, such as in the hollow ground blade.

A rubbing stick is a piece of perfectly flat wood about an inch wide and half inch thick and long enough to hold in both hands, you cut the paper so it comes up the side of the stick.

With the hollow ground blade you do not touch the etching with anything more than oil and steel wool.

The red fibre washers should be replaced, here in Australia I can buy this fibre from a motor parts supplier.

Do not glue the separate handle parts together before assembly, most especially do not use Superglue:- Superglue dries too quickly and does not compress. When you reassemble the handle a tiny spot of slow drying Araldite between the loose parts of the handle can be acceptable, but it is really the pressure of the nut that will keep the handle together.

Re-shape and finish the replaced handle after assembly, again you can use abrasive papers and descending grades of steel wool, be careful not to damage the patina of the antler.

I have restored a few of these knives, and have made a few with the same construction; I was a member of the Australian Knifemakers Guild for a number of years --- no longer am, differences of opinion --- I mostly did bladesmith work for other makers, but also made more than a few complete knives myself, as well as doing restoration jobs.

Edit: sometimes the screw thread was peened over the nut to keep it from coming loose, so if the nut does not screw off and just jams, take a couple of passes with a file over it and it should screw off OK.

[S.Workman]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

A lot of good advice has already been given for restoration of this knife, what I can add is really only fine tuning.

Disassemble by unscrewing the retaining nut in the pommel, it is really essential to disassemble the knife because you need to clamp the blade into a vice to effectively polish it.

Use abrasive paper to restore the blade surfaces; I would start with 1200 wet & dry paper and see if this has an effect or not, if no effect you work backwards through the grades until you get a result, then you go back through the grades and finish with worn 1200 W&D paper. There are other specialist metal finishing papers that can be used, but if I were doing this job I'd leave it at worn 1200 W&D.

The basic principle in using abrasives to polish metal is that you use each decrease in abrasion to remove the marks of the previous grit, and you finish the polish along the length of the object.

This means that in something that is in pretty crappy condition you might begin with say, a 120 grit along the length, then you reduce grit to 240, or maybe only 180 and you sand across the marks left by the previous grit, then you might go down to something like 300 grit and sand along the length of the blade, and so on until you get down to 1200 used along the length, followed by worn 1200 along the length.

You use the paper on a rubbing stick for flat surfaces, you use your fingers or a pencil eraser shaped to the curve for curved surfaces, such as in the hollow ground blade.

A rubbing stick is a piece of perfectly flat wood about an inch wide and half inch thick and long enough to hold in both hands, you cut the paper so it comes up the side of the stick.

With the hollow ground blade you do not touch the etching with anything more than oil and steel wool.

The red fibre washers should be replaced, here in Australia I can buy this fibre from a motor parts supplier.

Do not glue the separate handle parts together before assembly, most especially do not use Superglue:- Superglue dries too quickly and does not compress. When you reassemble the handle a tiny spot of slow drying Araldite between the loose parts of the handle can be acceptable, but it is really the pressure of the nut that will keep the handle together.

Re-shape and finish the replaced handle after assembly, again you can use abrasive papers and descending grades of steel wool, be careful not to damage the patina of the antler.

I have restored a few of these knives, and have made a few with the same construction; I was a member of the Australian Knifemakers Guild for a number of years --- no longer am, differences of opinion --- I mostly did bladesmith work for other makers, but also made more than a few complete knives myself, as well as doing restoration jobs.

Edit: sometimes the screw thread was peened over the nut to keep it from coming loose, so if the nut does not screw off and just jams, take a couple of passes with a file over it and it should screw off OK.

Alan, you can always be relied upon to give us a detailed and informative response, thank you. How essential is it to use the same spacer material as the original? I have some extremely thin pieces of wood used in marquetry, could those be used? Whatever I use, I think the originals are toast, many are battered and no two are the same thickness. I have a feeling that once they are off and no longer under any pressure, they will prove somewhat warped.
Incidentally, I'm pretty impressed by the resistance of the thicker knife. It's sheath was downright rotten, literally the consistency and appearance of an old piece of dug up harness, green and blotchy.

[A. G. Maisey]

You can use other materials for spacers, when I've restored this same type of handle, I've used gasket material from an auto parts store, but I've also used brass shim.

I would not use wood because I can't think of a wood that could be relied upon to take the pressure. Maybe lignum vitae would be OK --- that's the stuff they used to use for bearings in marine engines --- but you probably don't have any of that. Wood would absorb moisture too. Not good. Nope, wouldn't use wood.

The pic is a knife I made maybe 20 years ago, rip - off of one of the old Marbles patterns:-

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/sh...rble-Woodcraft

I think this pattern was maybe the most popular pre-WWII belt knife in USA. Great knife. I had an original for many years, some misbegotten mongrel thought he needed it more than me.

Anyway, look at the Marbles, couple of different coloured materials as spacers.

The knife I did has the handle on in the same way, but it is stacked leather, and includes brass shim.

I like old Solingen knives, I've got a lot of pocket knives, and I never move without one, but probably the one I carry most is a 1930's Dirlam. Excellent design, excellent performance.

[S.Workman]

Originally Posted by Shakethetrees

You need a screwdriver that fits the brass pommel nut. Grind a "U"shaped groove in the center deep enough to fully engage the slots on either side of the tang and unscrew. When you grind this, make sure the screwdriver blade is kept cool or you'll lose the temper!

I would take note of the fiber, brass, horn, (or whatever), spacers and use some CA cement (superglue) to fix them into alignment. Do this away from the antler grip. Make sure alignment is perfect and let the glue wick in between the layers. Once it has set this can be handled like a single unit and glued to the antler.

After the blade has been cleaned and polished to whatever degree you prefer, stack everything back as before and screw the brass nut down snugly enough to where the pommel won't turn.

This type of restoration does not involve any real tricks or technique, just forethought and a bit of elbow grease. Work slower rather than faster and constantly check your progress.

Oh, and use hot wax on the whole piece...

Then,

You're done!

Thank you for that process. I'm thinking about replacing the spacers since many are chipped at the edges which contributes to them not lining up properly. Jantz supply, here. I come. I'll probably end up making new sheaths since the originals are so tattered. These are another example of what happens when someone who does not esteem blades has them in their possession.
Btw, I think that someone tried to get rotation on the nut by tapping in with a nail set or something, it would explain why the pommels are loose and the nut is chewed up.

[Berkley]

Originally Posted by Shakethetrees

You need a screwdriver that fits the brass pommel nut. !

Here's a commercial tang nut tool that fits Marble's and many German knives like yours with a tang nut in the pommel. It gives a good idea of what you need to make to remove the nut.

[S.Workman]

Originally Posted by Berkley

Here's a commercial tang nut tool that fits Marble's and many German knives like yours with a tang nut in the pommel. It gives a good idea of what you need to make to remove the nut.

I did indeed make one but it's interesting to see that a multi width tool is or was available. I wish that they had put a hole in the center so you could run something through there and get more leverage/torque.
Does anyone know a professional or trade name for the fiber material that the spacers are made of? Jantz supply has fiberglass spacers, but I don't think it's fiberglass.

[Rick]

You have a PM .
Google is your friend (in this case) .

[S.Workman]

Originally Posted by Rick

You have a PM .
Google is your friend (in this case) .

Nice, thank you.

[kronckew]

just to expand on AGM's fine info. lignum vitae is/was used in stern tube bearing & seals around the hull penetration of large low speed ship's propeller shafts. the seals used a trickle of water to lubricate and cool the wood bearing. lignum vitae essentially doesn't absorb water and is very hard and wear eresistant in this service. it also is denser than water (it sinks) and is not only expensive, but hard to find any more, the true LV is an endangered species, but small chunks for gun grips and knife handles can be found. wear a dust mask if you DIY (LV has medicinal uses when powdered). i used to see a lot of it around ship yards in sea ports as the wood was installed in dovetailed strips and needed replacement every decade or so. that source has dried up. modern seals are mechanical oil seals. great when they work, but a horror if they leak.

LV also makes nice clubs and walking sticks. and it looks really cool polished up. also traditional for carver's mallets, marlin spikes, gavels, lawn bowls, wooden jars, etc.