Hi all,
I recently found this old craftsman (schrade-walden) fixed blade. It was sitting out in the heat and sun for years and the stacked leather handle is in super rough shape.
I put some neatsfoot oil on it, but that didn't help much. I'd like to try my hand at replacing the leather but had some questions about how to remove and replace the pommel without ruining anything.
here is the knife
and here is the pommel
everything was loose due to the leather shrinking so I tapped everything down towards the blade end, (first guard, then bakelite spacer, then all the leather, spacer and pommel) which exposed the end of the tang. It looks like there is some kind of hollow tubular pin that has been driven into a slot at the end of the tang. it looks like the pin must be soft which became peened over the end of the tang, holding everything in place
clearly I have to remove the pin, but is there a best way? try to start a screw into it and then pry on the screw hopefully removing the pin with it? something else? pull on it with pliers?
Thanks!
I recently found this old craftsman (schrade-walden) fixed blade. It was sitting out in the heat and sun for years and the stacked leather handle is in super rough shape.
I put some neatsfoot oil on it, but that didn't help much. I'd like to try my hand at replacing the leather but had some questions about how to remove and replace the pommel without ruining anything.
here is the knife
and here is the pommel
everything was loose due to the leather shrinking so I tapped everything down towards the blade end, (first guard, then bakelite spacer, then all the leather, spacer and pommel) which exposed the end of the tang. It looks like there is some kind of hollow tubular pin that has been driven into a slot at the end of the tang. it looks like the pin must be soft which became peened over the end of the tang, holding everything in place
clearly I have to remove the pin, but is there a best way? try to start a screw into it and then pry on the screw hopefully removing the pin with it? something else? pull on it with pliers?
Thanks!