Can the guard be salvaged if I break down a handle?

G

Grapevine

Joined
Mar 5, 2002
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My early new year's resolution is to actually attempt to rehandle some of my factory knives which I've been wanting to do for years now. With the Marbles Northwest Skinner pictured below, I'd like to rehandle with birch bark. I'm going to try to make a tool to turn that tang nut and take the butt cap off to see if the whole handle will come off first. But I'm betting that the components are epoxied together as well instead of just held by the tang nut.

If I have to take a hammer to that piece of stag, will I be able to salvage the guard and butt? Also, if I misjudge and the new handle becomes slightly longer than the existing one and the tang ends up a bit recessed in the butt and nut, does it affect the structural integrity any?

NorthwestSkinner.jpg


NorthwestSkinnerButt.jpg
 
Remove the nut,if it is epoxied together soak the handle in boiling water about 5 minuets and see if it will slide apart.

Stan
 
That looks like a nice old knife. While I understand what you want to do, it's kind of a shame to change it. Just a thought, but you can get nice heat treated knife blanks from knife supply stores, you could put a handle on them and have brand new knives. Just a thought, good luck whatever you do.
 
I seriously doubt that you will find any epoxy. Most factory knives contain "zilch" epoxy. They simply don't have the time for clean-up and set-times.

Having said my $.02 worth, when you take it apart, send that piece of stag to me. I likes me some stag.
 
Thanks Stan, I'll try that.

David, that knife just looks old but it isn't. I think it was made around the late 90s to early 2000s, whenever it was that Mike Stewart was working for Marbles, because it was one of the runs that came out of that period and the steel is 52100 instead of whatever unknown carbon steel they used in the true vintage Marbles. It's been well used by me so it looks older. The reason why I want to put a new handle on this one is because it's a favorite using knife of mine. I haven't yet seen a knife blank that I like enough to want to buy or use. Though I'll most likely not execute a new handle as well as what the experienced craftsmen would, the fact that I'll put some of my own effort into making it would make it even more of a personal favorite that I'll keep. There are a few more knives I own that are like that, with nothing really special about them other than being favorite users that I want to make "fit" me even more.

Robert, will do. I'll PM you when I get it done and if the stag remains intact. Don't hold your breath waiting though because I tend to procrastinate.
 
That's a gorgeous knife. I have two that came out of Mike's shop at Marble's, a Fieldcraft and a Campcraft; 52100 is one of the best high carbon steels ever IMHO. A needle-nose pliers such as the one on a Leatherman works great on the tang nut.
 
If boiling the handle won't make it come apart after removing the nut, try using a torch on the pommel and stag. Once it gets warm enough, it usually all comes off easily. Wrap the blade in tape and put in a vise when doing this.
 
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