Help with restoring Grandpas Knife.

C

Curry0806

Joined
Jun 14, 2024
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2
Since my grandpa passed we found this blade of his and I took it. Only shows one of the blades in the picture but assuming what I do for one would do for the other. Was hoping yall could give me recomendations on what to do or use to restore it properly and put it back in good condition.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J-DaTU6uy_b6vMSPmTldUb4hMMBmgJq8/view?usp=drivesdk


Since cant upload pictures any other way attached are pictures of the knives. Thank you all for your help in advance.
 
It looks like an old Kabar trapper, no longer made. Hard to tell what the scales are, whether genuine stag or Delrin. Hard to say how it would clean up; you've have to remove the rust to begin with. Others on this forum would have more specific advice.My buddy had one of these; good steel, probably 1095 or similar.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums Curry0806.

If you just want to "restore" it to "user" condition, I'd recommend wiping the blades with WD40, and rubbing them with fine steel wool to remove surface rust.

To improve the movement of the blades during opening and closing, spray WD40 throughout the entire handle and into the blade pivots, work the blades open and closed several times, let it sit overnight, work the blades some more, then blow out the WD40 with compressed air (canned compressed air will work fine if you don't have a compressor), then lubricate the pivots with a thin oil.

If you want to make the knife look "prettier", as in- removing some of the light pitting from the blades, that would require sanding (hand sanding). I'd probably start with 320 grit, then work my way up using finer grits until I achieved the final finish I wanted. Removing all pitting might not be practical, as it would require the removal of a lot of steel, and it's really not necessary.

I'm guessing the springs need some attention as well. The back of the springs can be cleaned up using the methods I've described for the blades. The inside of the springs can be hard to reach, but it's doable. If the inside of the springs are rusty I'd suggest wrapping sandpaper around a thin metal ruler or similar item to get between the liners, then flush with WD40.

The bolsters (metal pieces on each end of the handles) can be polished using metal polish and a clean cloth.

Being that the blades are carbon steel and not stainless steel, they will develop a patina over time. So no matter how shiny and "pretty" you might make them, unless you keep them coated with oil, they won't stay shiny and pretty.
 
If it were mine, I’d soak it overnight in a jar of mineral oil.
After wiping it off I’d get after it with a toothbrush, qtips & toothpicks. Clean out all the loose junk in there.

Nothing abrasive like sandpaper or steel wool.

Go over the blades and bolsters with a magic eraser. (Only minutely abrasive). Wash with soap and water, dry thoroughly and then oil the pivot.

You’re going to have to come to terms with a patina on the blade. And keep it lightly oiled.

Hopefully after cleaning and working the pivot the blades will close completely and it’ll be time to sharpen it up.

And…
It looks like real stag to me. Top shelf old soldier of a knife.
 
Killgar & I posted at the same time…..
After reviewing I think it’s safe to say my reccos are the more conservative approach and his are a wee bit more aggressive. Both are valid. :cool:

My only caveat is that I don’t like using WD40 on stag or bone.
 
Nice old knife, I don’t think it’s stag. Flush it out with oil, work the blades, until they open easily without gritting feeling. Wipe with a rag.

I have one like yours it’s not stag.

The middle one was my Grandpa Joe’s. It was in worse shape than yours. I found it rusted shut in the bottom of a tackle box.
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eveled said:
Nice old knife, I don’t think it’s stag. Flush it out with oil, work the blades, until they open easily without gritting feeling. Wipe with a rag.

I have one like yours it’s not stag.

The middle one was my Grandpa Joe’s. It was in worse shape than yours. I found it rusted shut in the bottom of a tackle box.
view
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Any recommendations on how to derust and make it look like that? Mine is basically like the top right one. I just wanna make sure its in good condition.
 
Pour oil inside the blade well. let it soak in and leak out. Mystery oil, kroil, something thin that penetrates that doesn’t smell too bad.

Work the blades open and closing them keep flushing oil through it until the grittiness is gone. Then after it seems smooth I’d probably switch to wd 40. Stick the straw inside flush it till it runs clean.

For the blades, knock off any active rust with a brass scraper. I use a flattened rifle cartridge, even a .22.

Then wipe it with an oily rag.

Then carry and use it. It will keep getting better
 
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Kabar 1184 folding hunter, handles are what Kabar called Staglon.
You can't restore it to like new. You can grind or sand the crap out if it to get it shiny but you'd do more damage than good.
Oil the blades, stop the active rust. Scrubbing it with newspaper soaked in Coca Cola usually works pretty well.
 
My suggestion if you want to do it yourself-
Use 0000 steel wool (dry) on the rust-gently, until no more comes off. Blow it out/off with compressed air.
Clean the inside of the blade well with a piece of brass. There appears to be something in there that is holding one of the blades partially open. use a piece of brass and a small wad of the steel wool to clean up the inside.
Soak the knife with WD 40, let it sit, dry and repeat.
BTW- the handles are plastic.

If the knife came through my shop, I would:
Card all the rust off with a carding wheel. Clean up the intricate areas with a small wire wheel in a flexible shaft machine.
Use the WD 40 as above. Dry the knife off. Sand the bolsters with 600 grit sandpaper, then buff.
Cleaning the steel up requires hand sanding and machine grinding/polishing.
While the knife can be made to look a lot better, it will not look new-unless you want to spend a LOT of money.
 
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