Hey all

[Trent Rock]

I'm new here!!
I just started getting into "restoring" knives
Mostly fixed blades
I really like the Western "Made in Boulder" ones
I just picked up a L-40
This is my first leather handled knife
I got a few questions hopefully you all can help me with

1)Is there anything I can "rub" on the leather handles to "preserve" it?
Like maybe the Rawling's baseball glove oil?

2)Is there anything I can do to "swell" the leather "disks"
Is soaking it in water a bad move?


3)The top part (I think it is called the "guard"?) is a tiny bit loose
Is there any way to tighten it up with out taking apart/rebuilding the whole handle?

4)There seems to be this turquoise paste like substance forming on the leather sheath and handle
Is that some sort of leather mold?
It could be some stuff the guy before me used to clean it maybe

5)How hard is it to rebuild leather handles?
Where do I get the replacement disks?
Do I have to make them by hand?
I know I read that the spacers are hard to find for some models?
Is there a company/web site that has a lot of tools and knife rebuilding parts?

6)Is there a "bible"/book of knife restoration?
Comprehensive
For the beginner??
I looked on Amazon and there is few by Wayne Goddard?

7)Finally
A question I have wanted to know for years!!!
How do you get that "swirling"/ micro swirls on a blade?!!!
Is there some 3000 grit diamond emery paper or something?

Oh yeah
I also stared collecting smaller hatchets
Got a few Norlunds
I want to carve handles for them and turn them into throwin' hatchets!!
I got a few hatchet questions I'll post some other time

I am allowed to post pics to have members help me identify knives?
Or am I gonna get a lot of "check Ebay" replies?
Hehehheeheh

I live in Goleta, CA
I have a pretty nice gun collection but I am currently unemployed so knife collecting seems to be a LITTLE bit cheaper!!!
I have a house in Colorado and my ancestors are from Colorado hence my reason for liking Western knives
I am into Southwest History
Especially mountain men, rendezvous, trappers, explorers, etc
My great-great-great grandfather was an explorer/hunter/trapper in southern Colorado in the mid to late 1800's
Hence my fascination for hunting knives

So
I am at my house in Colorado a few years ago
I have always wanted to go to one of those "mountain man"/recreators/rendezvous things
I found out there was one in Creede, CO
It's a few hours from my house
I decide to go with my brother to check it out
We get into Creede (an awesome, cool little old west type town...TOTALLY like Deadwood!!)
We ask around
No one seems to know anything about the rendevouz
Finally we find someone who knows where it is
It's off some old dirt/forest road
I pull up to the site
It's a lot smaller than I thought
About 8 large teepees
There is some people throwing hatchets
Old school style
With the playing card as a target and everything
I decided right then and there I wanted to see if any of these dudes had a throwin' hatchet for sale
I turn into Clark Griswold
California tourist with payday money in his wallet
"Say uh...excuse me holmes...you know where I can get a throwing hatchet?"
"Hmmmmm...I think Buffalo Joe (or whatever his name was) might have some for sale"
"DO you know where Buffalo Joe is?'
"Sure...he's in that tee pee over there..he may be taking a nap"
"Cool...How do I let him know I want a hatchet?..Just yell out at his tee pee...I'm not sure of the proper old west protocol ya know"
"Uhhhhh...yup"
So I walk over to Buffalo Joe's tee pee
"Hey!!! Buffalo Joe!!! I need me a dang throwin hatchet!!!"
I hear some rustling inside the tee pee
The tee pee door/flap opens
Out comes some 60 year old guy in full mt man regalia
He had one fake eye
Long gray hair with a ponytail
Totally Grizzly Adams looking
I can see his "woman" still resting in the tee pee
Buffalo Joe starts looking through his stuff
He pulls out and old box FULL of handmade hatchets
He picks up a few
I make my choice
"I like this one Buffalo Joe...how much"
He scratches his head
"Sheet...hmmmm....How about 20 bucks?'
"SOLD!!! Buffalo Joe!!..Thanks and have a great rendevouz"

It's actually a pretty cool handmade (I think it's called forged..it looks like the kind where you fold the metal to make it) hatchet
I tried it out and it worked FINE as a throwing hatchet!!
I was so happy
Cool new hobby!!!
(I had my eye on the Cold Steel throwing championships in 2010 already!!)
I left it in at my house in Colorado
I'm sitting here in Goleta about a month ago
Hmmmmmmm
Maybe I should try and get an old/vintage throwin' hatchet on Ebay so I can "practice" throwing here in Goleta?
I get on Ebay one night expecting to find ONE nice old hatchet I could restore for a throwing hatchet
Mt man style
Well
A month later===>
I got 7 old hatchets and about 10 old knives!!!!!!
Expect to see me a lot in this forum section in the future to say the least


Thanks in advance for helping out this knife n00by...............................

 

[lotoblades]

Welcome to bladeforums Trent...whew I think thats the longest post I've ever read here.:yawn:

Can't answer all your questions but #4 seems like some good ole molded leather to me.