Cattaraugus Folding Machete - Need advice to fix it up

J

jonerays

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May 2, 2014
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My grandfather recently sent me a box of some of his old toys and it contained this very cool little piece of history.

After some searching, I've found that it was a Cattaraugus survival knife from WWII issued to US combatants.

It is in pretty rough shape and even looks like my grandfather tried to drill out the pins at one point. I'm likely going to attempt to finish the job and restore this beauty. Any advice for removing the old pins without damaging the liners?

It has some sort of black plastic as covers and a liner lock. It is really stiff from the rust, and the blade has a fair number of chips. The blade cover is also in pretty rough shape. I thought it would be a fun project to refurbish this tool and perhaps gift it back to my grandfather.

I did my best to research the origins here but I am by no means an expert. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated!

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Nice piece!

on the other hand, I wouldn't want to chop with any blade that folds.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Me neither on anything tough, but it would be perfect for those that get milkweed growing in your backyard. Or even grapevine.
Click to expand...

I agree, I definitely wouldn't be chopping any hefty wood with it. But I can see its use for general brush clearing.
 
I think this post could do with some input from the folks in the Maintenance and Tinkering Forum.
 
What do you want to do? Make new handles? Also like others said it'll work great for brush clearing and green branches up to about 1.5 inches in diameter.


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Yeah I'm thinking I want to take it apart remove the rust so that the lock is a bit smoother. Re cover it probably with micarta handles. Then come up with a blade cover replacement. I'm thinking. Kydex for the blade cover. Obviously will need to clean up the blade itself. There are some hefty chips that might not have come across in the pics. My main question is: any recommendations on getting the thing apart? And removing the old pins?

At this point, I'm not sure how much I would use it. But it is more about having s fun project that will remind me of my grandfather

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What you have is a genuine World War 2 relic. Customizing it makes no sense. Just clean the rust off of it with 0000 steel wool, oil it up, and keep it for what it is.
I can guarantee you will ruin it if you try to take it apart.
 
People will tell you not to because it's original blah blah but it's from your grandfather so I doubt you'll ever sell it. Since you won't sell it modify it if you want. Do you have a drill press? If so start with small drill bit and drill the pins out. If not send it to someone to have work done to it


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I appreciate the feedback. I don't have a drill press but I think I can find someone that does to help out. Thanks.


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I'm not exactly "people."
I am a professional cutler- I do this stuff for a living. Blah blah. KaBar, Colonial, and a dozen other companies use me for repair.
Of course, it's his knife and he can do anything he wants with it- but it is actually a collector's item and not something you would want to use to learn how to work on knives with.
If he wants to clean the rust out, flushing with WD 40 will get it out without disassembly.
 
Please people! Don't use steel wool to clean up rust. Instead use heated citric acid on a cotton swab. That way you don't accidentally mess up the finish. When you're done just wipe it down with some wet paper towel, dry it immediately and oil it down some.

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0000 steel wool will not harm blade/knife steel at all.
Citric acid, on the other hand, will discolor steel.
Everyone's a knifesmith!
 
I have no advice. Just want to thank the OP for posting.

I can appreciate the history of the item yet, at the same time, I find amusing the idea of a folding machete. Especially with the picture of it folded and the rest of the blade going past the handle. I wonder what the idea behind it was. I can't imagine saving the length of the handle made that big of a difference.

Enjoy it whatever you decide to do with it.
 
A strong discoloration only occurs when you leave it on for too long or the acid being too hot. Take small steps and wipe it down quickly. It's not something like "let it sit there for a while" at all. It requires close attention ( and a magnifying glass if possible).
I use it on delicate failure diagnostics regularly where people failed in securing the evidence right away. I personally do not use steel wool because it leaves microscopic marks on the surface of interest. But maybe that's just me.

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Steel wool is much softer than hardened knife steel.
I use it in my knife repair business all the time.
Citric and other acids etch the steel surface.
The folding machetes were used in aviation survival kits-where size and weight savings were paramount.
 
I'm with Bill on this one. Sure, it's in a bit of rough shape, but honestly, it's more of an heirloom than something you'll likely use in the backyard for gardening. If it were mine, I'd get rid of the active rust using steel wool or similar means, then some type of protectant, as mentioned, on the metal. I use RenWax, but there are a bunch of different products out there.

Once I had it in shape, I'd make some kind of a display for it, maybe include a picture of your grandfather with it. Don't know if it was his personal issue machete, but he thought enough of it to hold onto it.

If you want to mess around with tools and restoring knives, I'd start by practicing on something that doesn't mean anything to you. I have piles of junkers, if you want some, PM me with your address and I'll send you some.

Glenn
 
I really appreciate all the feedback. You've all given me a lot to consider. The main reason I was considering refurbishing it was because it looks like my grandfather had attempted to do so himself based on some holes and file marks on the handle.

However, Bill and Glenn have compelling arguments. I think I'll sit on it for a while and see how I feel after some time.

Glenn, your offer is very generous, I appreciate your willingness to help out someone relatively new to the hobby, but I'll have to pass for now. I have a new kid at home of just s few months so my project time is fairly limited and I've got many irons in the fire already.

Again, thanks to all for providing input and bouncing ideas around.

J


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