Has anyone reground a broken knife into a shorter blade/seen this done by someone?

[DangerZone98]

Say you have a field knife with a 7” or 9” blade and it breaks roughly in half from batoning, chopping, tomfoolery, etc. You’re left with one piece of steel and a knife with 3.5” or 4.5” of blade left. I’d imagine you can still “repair” the knife and repurpose it from a big blade to a more compact belt knife. Just give it a new tip or at least grind away the jagged edges where it broke. But I don’t think I’ve seen that around here yet.

Has it been done? Is it a practical repair job?

 

[jfk1110]

Pretty sure it has!!! Can't remember who did it... Maybe post the same question in the knife maker's area too!!

Somebody would likely give you a response!

 

[Crag the Brewer]

Yes, I've reground blades that I test, and have broke during testing......

My current Pass A Round knife is one of them. Not broke in half..... But I had to grind out chunks. First time using/making anything with Cruwear.

Post in thread 'Cruwear Pass A Round ......THANKS!' https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/cruwear-pass-a-round-thanks.1935722/post-22021704

I Needed to see where the angles and thin edge would take me?
I'm known for grinding shallow, acute angles. This means the knife is too sharp.
It was clearly knife abuse.


After the damage from the link I posted above, I cleaned up the profile, and put a more durable working angle. Still very acute compared to most makers. I'm less than 15 degrees.
I think it turned out Nicely.

 

[whereismyknife]

I've done this many times. When testing knives that I made myself, I broke a lot, especially in my novice days (from bad heat treatment) and often reshaped them instead of throwing them away. What you need to pay attention to is to maintain heat treatment when regrounding. That is, to ensure that the blade does not get too hot. As an amateur I can say this, I'm sure knife makers whose job it is here can tell you important tricks.

 

[DangerZone98]

Yes, I've reground blades that I test, and have broke during testing......

My current Pass A Round knife is one of them. Not broke in half..... But I had to grind out chunks. First time using/making anything with Cruwear.

Post in thread 'Cruwear Pass A Round ......THANKS!' https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/cruwear-pass-a-round-thanks.1935722/post-22021704

I Needed to see where the angles and thin edge would take me?
I'm known for grinding shallow, acute angles. This means the knife is too sharp.
It was clearly knife abuse.


After the damage from the link I posted above, I cleaned up the profile, and put a more durable working angle. Still very acute compared to most makers. I'm less than 15 degrees.
I think it turned out Nicely.

Thanks for the nice pictures. That’s a beautiful blade.

 

[DMG]

Yes, i have done it with many knives for myself and friends. Its also how a lot of oyster knives are made in the deep south.

 

[stabman]

Yep.
In my early 20s had bayonet from the 1800s that snapped in half. Put point on part attached to handle still...about 8 inches of blade. Did a Wharncliffe point if I recall correctly. Don't still have it.

This thing started as a much longer blade, a full length saber:

Return of the Elephant Sword...

Back in the early 1990s, there was no such thing as the internet. 😧 There was mail order catalogues...and these weird things called stores. Often, different cities had entirely different items for sale (odd, I know). So around the age of 14, I was visiting my grandparents, and they dropped my...

www.bladeforums.com

Ground regular point on it, then went with Wharncliffe years later when I put better handle on it. With that one the blade snapped, AND the original handle fell apart!

 

[catspa]

Did my first one in the late 60s, while other kids were experimenting with sex and drugs. Have done several since.

As mentioned, it helps if you have lots of patience, a feather light touch on a bench grinder, and a good friend to man the squirt bottle.

Parker

 

[eveled]

Sometimes the broken reshaped blade actually works out.

 

[DangerZone98]

Did my first one in the late 60s, while other kids were experimenting with sex and drugs. Have done several since.

As mentioned, it helps if you have lots of patience, a feather light touch on a bench grinder, and a good friend to man the squirt bottle.

Parker

Hoes are temporary. Steel is eternal.

 

[Blade Lab]

It's using a Tormek machine, but there's lot of good information here that's applicable to other systems:

 

[DangerZone98]

Thanks for the responses fellers. I don’t really have much to add but I read everything here.

 

[jfk1110]

Yes, I've reground blades that I test, and have broke during testing......

My current Pass A Round knife is one of them. Not broke in half..... But I had to grind out chunks. First time using/making anything with Cruwear.

Post in thread 'Cruwear Pass A Round ......THANKS!' https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/cruwear-pass-a-round-thanks.1935722/post-22021704

I Needed to see where the angles and thin edge would take me?
I'm known for grinding shallow, acute angles. This means the knife is too sharp.
It was clearly knife abuse.


After the damage from the link I posted above, I cleaned up the profile, and put a more durable working angle. Still very acute compared to most makers. I'm less than 15 degrees.
I think it turned out Nicely.

Looking forward to when the pass around is done and its up for grabs!!!

 

[elasmonut]

Every beginner maker wants to make Swords and Bowies,and most of us try early on, but fixing mistakes is why most of us start/ finish up with small knives.

 

[eveled]

A reground broken sword played a prominent part in an old tv western called “Branded”

 

[DangerZone98]

In the game Shadow of Mordor, the main character’s ‘knife’ was actually repurposed from an arming sword (his late son’s). The blade was broken, but it still had maybe 4 or 5 inches of blade left. I thought it was an incredibly cool concept back in 2015 and it was probably in my subconscious when I started this thread.