Rebuild old knives?

[hunter63]

I have been getting inspiration by y'all's new projects, and besides it still cold out.
So I have been looking thru my accumulation (not necessarily a collection) of old beat up, retired, knives.

After watching come of the collection shows, they always tell you NOT to modify any collectible stuff, because it could ruin the value.

I have a couple that I don't even know where I they came from and I believe they would do me more good being put back to use.

I started with a Remington UMC Made in USA, that had a broken black handle.
Full tang, w/brass nut to hold on the scales (actually a solid piece of plastic?).

So far I just wrapped it w/para cord, and cleaned up/ shapened the blade.

Any thoughts on rebuilding old knives?

[crashdive123]

I like to give old knives and tools a new life. If I had some sort of collectible I probably wouldn't, but most of the stuff I fix up has been thrown out by somebody else. I always try and imagine the history of the tool or the people that used it.

[Camp10]

I get lots of inspiration from old knives and tools. I have rehandled a few older knives to keep them useful but I hate to alter an old knife. I would rather make a new one the way I think it should have been done. One of the knives I am trying to get done this week is a leather handled utility that I am roughly modeling after a WWII era Marbles I have.
Probably none of that really answers your question though...if it is broken, fix it. If you just dont like it, make or buy one you do like. My 2 cents....

[crashdive123]

I'll add - If it is a custom knife - I won't alter it out of respect to the original maker.

[rebel]

Here's one site that sells parts for building / rebuilding knives:

http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php

[Camp10]

I'll add - If it is a custom knife - I won't alter it out of respect to the original maker.

Yes! What he said!!

[Ole WV Coot]

All I own that could use a "touch up" belonged to someone important to me. I keep them in the condition I got them. None have any value except to me, same with guns I will never fire. I hope I will be able to pass them down to my son and grandson.

[hunter63]

Here's what I have been working on,
The old Remington cleaned up, wrapped grip w/para cord to replace broken plastic, made sheath (more pic's in Making stuff section).

Next is a German steel blade, just cleaned up, an will be making sheath.

Then is the long knife, looks like a bayonet ? leather grip dried out, missing the end (Prommel)
So I haven't decided what to do with it so far.

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[crashdive123]

I know you can pick up replacement leather discs, but I wonder if you could lightly sand it and then use some mink oil to bring it back to life.

[hunter63]

Guess all great minds work alike.....
I actually started doing that, you can kinda see some scuff marks on it.
Had them off, and they still are pretty good shape except very dry and dark.

Need to figure out something for an end???
Did a file knife a while back, and poured a end with "babbitt metal".
That's a alloy w/lots of lead......don't know if I want to do that again.

[rebel]

Guess all great minds work alike.....
I actually started doing that, you can kinda see some scuff marks on it.
Had them off, and they still are pretty good shape except very dry and dark.

Need to figure out something for an end???
Did a file knife a while back, and poured a end with "babbitt metal".
That's a alloy w/lots of lead......don't know if I want to do that again.

Can it be threaded?

[crashdive123]

Or is the end soft enough to peen over if you put a nice little piece of brass on the end?

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

How did the paracord compress when tightening the pommel? I have an old Solingen Deer horn with thin leather disks i haven't been able to tighten for years.

[hunter63]

rebel , that's a thought......does have a hole with a piece of nail in it now to hold on the leather pieces.

Crash, Might not have to peen it, as I said, there is a hole there, a piece of brass with a hole cross wise, might be an idea.
Have a piece of copper, that's almost big enough but only 1/4 " thick???
Was thinking about aluminum, I think a silver color would look better?

CBS, the brass nut on the end was loose enough to get out, so I loosened it up quite a bit, wrapped it and tightened it up, could be a little tighter, I suppose, but is pretty tight now.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Hmmm...Maybe some epoxy and adding a lanyard under the pummel would tighten mine up and net me a lanyard....

[hunter63]

I started out doubling the cord up, passed the cord thru and made a loop, wrapped it, from back to front and back, passed the ends thru the loop, did it again and just got it threaded thru the loop one last time, then tied a knot.
This pretty much tightened every up, then tightened the knob down on the cord.

Was kind of a female dog to keep tight wraps.

Took me three times to get the correct length, and experiment with start/end points, hence the lanyard.
I know that was a bad explanation, maybe if I was to start the other knife just to illustrate?

[hunter63]

CBS, took some pic's of how I wrapped the handle.
This is on the other knife but will give you the idea.
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[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Thanks Hunter! Looks good. My bet you'll be using that bayonet soon!

[hunter63]

Or is the end soft enough to peen over if you put a nice little piece of brass on the end?

Here is the file knife with the poured end:


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And you can see the hole in the handle of of the leather handle with leather removed.

[crashdive123]

I really like that file knife.