Help - Disassembling a pocket knife

junkfan04

junkfan04

Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
406
I have been looking through the web for some time trying to find resources on taking apart some old pocket knives and then putting them back together.

I have hundreds of old bone or wood handled knives that are in varying condition. Some of these could have their parts combined to make a very nice knife but I just can't find the right inforamtion about how to get everything taken apart without damaging parts (which I have done a few times).

I would love for some input from others. It would be great to begin repairing my own knives.

Thanks!
 
when done correctly and frankensteins monster when its not:eek:
That being said i wouldnt attempt it myself, there is just too much that can be broken further or go completely wrong, i suppose you could take it on a pattern by pattern basis, trapper blade from this one into a trapper from that one, but getting it broken down without mangling it further is the trick
There are a few guys on here that do this type of work and they will be able to at least offer advice...
good luck to ya
ivan
ps maybe cull a few and post some picts alot of time all they need is a light cleaning.
 
cobbling a knife together to salvage one for you to continue enjoying is one thing, said activity done with the intent to sell is entirely different, not saying you're gonna do that but alot of knives floating around out there that arent what the appear to be if ya know what i mean:cool:
ivan
 
I don't sell my knives... That is why i have so many and so many that needs worked on. What I have is lots of knives that are exactly the same that I have collected over the years by the same makers and I want to combine them (replace handles that are broken, blades, etc...) to make them more displayable.

I have several large displays that hang on the wall full of knives but I only display the best ones.

Once I learn how to take apart and put back together, I want to play with custom filing.... I consider this an art form and would love to get good at it.
 
You need some specialized tools specific for cutlers and jewlers like good files for knife makers and jewelers trades, a very versatile knifemakers or jewelers vise for one and a good quality pin vise helps on occasion depending on how it goes along with drive pin punches (good quality) pilot punches if you don't have access to the other and maybe a brass or ball peen hammer in conjunction with a bench block for knife making or a micro mill and good vise on it would be great and even then with older bone, stag, or other natural materials that can dry out over time or are inherently weak or fragile in either structure or finish to begin with like mother of pearl for example, the risk is high if not 100% that those type scales will need replaced due to brittleness or just breaking in places in the way of chips or hair line cracks. In many instances there are already hair line fractures there in a lot of these scales and sometimes you find evidence once you start to move a pin and things give that one scale was already repaired with glue once in the past, sometimes in more than one spot even either by the maker/manufacturer or a repair cutler.

Some materials you just can't take apart without messing it up once its all pinned together. Brass and nickel silver oxidize over time so over time that little crust of turquoise color can actually semi weld the pins in place to some extent to the brass or nickel silver liners and this can also present itself on occasion to be somewhat challenging causing the thin liners to want to bend on you, especially if you don't have the proper equipment. This is true even for someone that made the knife years ago that does have the proper equipment. Many makers will tell you that some materials they cannot warrant depending on what they are in the way of natural materials such as stag, bone, mother of pearl and so on. It isn't that they wouldn't love to but certain things are beyond their control. So these materials are fragile even for them to mess with and I believe even the best will tell you they can't get that off there without messing it up. I certainly couldn't. On older knives the pivot pin can be weak in the middle and you may not even know its due to shear soon from wear or corrosion or some of both until you go to do what you propose.

Patience is key in messing with taking apart a pinned type folder for sure. This link here is packed full of information and you'll be here for weeks no doubt learning all you can ever hope to learn. I would buy a cheap knife on ebay or something and experiment trying to take that one apart first before you venture in to anything you hope to keep. Unless you are capable of fixing or replacing what you may end up with in tweaked parts after disassembly I'd say send it to someone that is capable. There are still folks out there like Bob Pickle, "Tom" tel. # (814)-362-1590 who worked for Case knives for 30 plus years before retiring that can do that and do it right. Those would be the people to contact in my opinion when it comes to a slip joint or other pinned type folder. Bill DeShivs a member of blade forums is also quite capable and could probably discuss some techniques if willing or perhaps even take on the job if you have something specific in mind but most all these guys are busy with other things so I really can't speak for them. They are just the first guys I'd think of for anything 'pinned' in the way of cutlery.

http://gbrannon.bizhat.com/

Good luck.

STR
 
Oh, I don't know how I missed this but I have not even taken into account the 'collectors perspective' on this. Say you take an old knife apart and mix parts. Unless it is redone with original parts from the same model or original replacement parts from the manufacturer (unlikely) and even then only if its done in such a way as to prevent even a good appraiser from knowing you were 'in there' you can and probably will take away any collector appeal for the knife at best or at the worst create a 'fake' as they call them in collector circles and see selling as originals on ebay and other sources. This is a sticky area and some may end up paying high dollar for a 'repaired fake' down the road unknowing so if that is anything worth keeping in mind you may want to dwell on that idea for a while. What I'm saying is that you can't take a Kabar trapper slip joint and stick a Kabar Stockman pattern main blade in there and call it anything worth showing or displaying as a collector worthy piece. At that point its a user and nothing more.

When folks call Kabar for an old knife often times Kabar hands them my information to get in touch with me. I've actually had people get mad at me on the phone because they simply cannot understand why I can't just make up a replacement blade and stick it in an old Dog Head Kabar they broke the blade on. Fact is its worth more as it is than what it would be if I touched it in that case. Contrary to popular belief by some, this bothers me to do that and I wouldn't. There is no accounting for what would happen to that knife once the person asking me to do it passed away. Years from now it could end up being one sold to someone as an original and some don't seem to get it. Anyway, its not that I have not modified users still being made but truth be told I try whenever possible to do things in such a way as to allow the owner of the folder to always be able to put it back together the way it was shipped to them but even this is not full proof. There is no telling if that original liner and lock or anything else would stay with the knife. So again its tricky business to deal with, particularly with collector pieces. I also make sure my "STR" is somewhere visible on the knife showing it was done by me and that I am the 'guilty party' so there is no mistake that its not original. This is not often the case though and it still does not justify the act of modification from the stand point of most collectors. Just FYI.

STR
 
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STR ........

Thanks for your replies.. I agree regarding the mixing of parts. I have been collecting knives since I was about 7 years old when my dad gave me my first. He was a gun/knife dealer in the 70's/80's for Frost/Parker and someone else.

Anyway, I am aware of the mixing parts thing. What I have is a large box of knives who have handles that are broken and maybe need cleaning down the tang and inside the handles. For the ones I wanted to keep, I intentionally over the years found the same models with parts that could be used on the ones I had. That is where I wanted to combine the parts (almost exclusively handles but occassionally a blade and always to clean the entire knife inside and out on my wheels). In some cases, I have 3 or 4 knives exactly the same, each with parts to be used to make one good one.

For knives like Case (not old ones), I simply return them to the factory for cleaning/repair.

I work behind a desk and have my whole life but have always wanted to learn how to work on the knives. Since I can now afford to and my kids are grown, I think it would be a great time to pick it up as a hobby and take up my spare time.
 
I do like the idea of signing the kine if it was worked on.... As I said, I have collected for years and I do spend a lot of money on them and it kills me to go to a show and find a high end older production knife with handles on it that it was never produced with but the seller has no clue and is selling the knife at it's absolute highest dollar it could bring if it were mint.....LOL

Anyway, like I said earlier, after I get good at rebuilding them, I would love to figure out how to do custom filing and etching/engraving to really show off my work. But gotta learn the basic take apart and put together first...


I already tried to make some blades in the shop for fixed blade knives but as it turns out, I'm just not that good at it. All of the grinding and shaping was being done by hand and I may not have had all the equipment I needed to do it right.

STR said:
Oh, I don't know how I missed this but I have not even taken into account the 'collectors perspective' on this. Say you take an old knife apart and mix parts. Unless it is redone with original parts from the same model or original replacement parts from the manufacturer (unlikely) and even then only if its done in such a way as to prevent even a good appraiser from knowing you were 'in there' you can and probably will take away any collector appeal for the knife at best or at the worst create a 'fake' as they call them in collector circles and see selling as originals on ebay and other sources. This is a sticky area and some may end up paying high dollar for a 'repaired fake' down the road unknowing so if that is anything worth keeping in mind you may want to dwell on that idea for a while. What I'm saying is that you can't take a Kabar trapper slip joint and stick a Kabar Stockman pattern main blade in there and call it anything worth showing or displaying as a collector worthy piece. At that point its a user and nothing more.

When folks call Kabar for an old knife often times Kabar hands them my information to get in touch with me. I've actually had people get mad at me on the phone because they simply cannot understand why I can't just make up a replacement blade and stick it in an old Dog Head Kabar they broke the blade on. Fack is its worth more as it is than what it would be if I touched it in that case. Contrary to popular belief by some, this bothers me to do that and I wouldn't. There is no accounting for what would happen to that knife once the person asking me to do it passed away. Years from now it could end up being one sold to someone as an original and some don't seem to get it. Anyway, its not that I have not modified users still being made but truth be told I try whenever possible to do things in such a way as to allow the owner of the folder to always be able to put it back together the way it was shipped to them but even this is not full proof. There is no telling if that original liner and lock or anything else would stay with the knife. So again its tricky business to deal with, particularly with collector pieces. I also make sure my "STR" is somewhere visible on the knife showing it was done by me and that I am the 'guilty party' so there is no mistake that its not original. This is not often the case though and it still does not justify the act of modification from the stand point of most collectors. Just FYI.

STR
Click to expand...
 
I understand believe me. With that said though keep in mind that there is a huge difference between a 'repair' and a 'restoration' and many confuse the two. You may feel that its restored but it can still end up being a fake and surprise surprise, some that are done correctly using original parts as you said you plan can end up being listed as fakes just because they look like they were taken apart so again its all a very tricky business. The other issue is that it may not be in this generation but perhaps when you are long gone a great grandson or nephew will pass on that has those and they end up in an estate sale sold to someone who proudly shows them off to a 'Bernard Levine' of the future only to find out he bought a bunch of modified or at best 'questionable' folders. Just like with rare coins you often times do more harm than good to even go through the act of cleaning one. Just an abrasive polish and a rag can do a lot to ruin a collectors interest in something.

Again good luck with your adventure. I got my first spanking by doing what in my mind was a repair to a folder my father gave me. I was quite proud of the fact that I had it all apart on the kitchen table that day. I think I was 11 years old. My father worked shift work and was usually crank but my little project really tipped him that way fast. The fact is when he saw what I did to the knife he gave me, a Kabar ironically, he turned me over his knee right quick. Of course my second spanking was when he discovered that I took apart his spark plug gapper to 'make my own folder using the two thickest liners and pivot pin conveniently found in that which set him off too! :D But hey until a few years ago you know I still had that friction folder from his spark plug gapper. He just had loose fitting pieces left but years later we laughed about that. Honestly its a wonder I ever got into knives at all after my first experiences there but I figured I'd tell you that story since it is true.

The other thing I want to say is that there is a huge wealth of knowledge here on the forums. Many know a whole lot more than I do but truth is they are not quite the typers or spellers I am. I prefer to type these days because my voice goes so fast on the phone that I can't do that much like the old days but many of these guys know how to help you if you just knew them. Perhaps you'll be able to get some tips from Tom if he has time. That link also provides a great deal of the information you need to know. :thumbup:

STR
 
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The fact that you've taken time to talk to me is appreciated. There is a guy about 15-20 minutes from my house who can make and do any kind of repair wanted but he is getting older and wasn't interested in teaching... I think I am going to take about 50 old clunkers and play with taking them apart.

Could you give me any quick advice as to what is the best way (or tools to use) to remove the bolser/liner pins... I have been trying to use my dremel and small bits but I typically screw up more than anything else.
 
Well, not knowing what you have available to you I'd just say if you have a way to support the opposite side bolster but still allow the pin clear passing and/or the whole folder body on the opposite side you can get a good start point with a recess or center punch maybe to set a slightly smaller in diameter drive pin punch over or even an old drill bit I guess and you could stick that bit in upside down in your drill press and using your secure knife makers block or vise to hold the folder bolster and body securely press the pin out from the side you were working. I'm just shooting from the hip though and again its 'make shift' trying to come up with something based on what you may have available to you and no guarantees on how it may proceed for you. Once the pin is down far enough to remove the bolster it should still be strong enough to hold using the liner but if you go through be advised that once you unclamp the folder its going to want to bump your blade or blades up and out of the folder.

Any vise may help if you can clamp it to the drill table to secure it and its capable of holding the folder without marring it up so some lead shields over the vise jaws or some hardwood jaw replacements screwed down on the jaws for a smooth non marring surface would be recommended

STR
 
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