How to fix the issue (gap) between bolster and handle?

D

Dextar

Joined
Sep 14, 2017
Messages
593
Hi there,

This Le Thiers arrived my hand last June, then I found this issue on the left piece.
At that time, the gap is not big, the touch and feel is not so discernable, but it becomes more easy to feel and easy to see.
When I handle it, my right thumb can clearly feel the uneven part between the scale and bolster, the gap is even more visible.
So, is there a way to fix it? (I tried to hard press it back but failed, so I think it's not as easy as just drop glue and press it back🤣)
993.jpg

994.jpg


Please advise.
Thanks.
 
without taking the knife apart, i do not think you have many options other then getting some slow set epoxy like G_FLEX into the gap
and clamping it in a vise to set up. looks like a nice knife.
 
bladesmith3 said:
without taking the knife apart, i do not think you have many options other then getting some slow set epoxy like G_FLEX into the gap
and clamping it in a vise to set up. looks like a nice knife.
Click to expand...
Thanks for reply, I heard that taking it apart is almost impossible, or say, taking apart is fine, but would not re-compose again: I had a Laguiole and wanted to ask the manufacture to fix something on the scale, I remember he told me it's not possible.

I worried about if there is something leftover inside the seam (gap), otherwise, being a baby-level customer, I don't understand how this issue comes? - if the inner side of left piece is flat.
 
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Could be from being in a dry atmosphere during winter? Horn can be troublesome.

I advise keeping it in a damper environment (humidifier or humidor cigar box if you have one!) for a couple of days if possible. Careful steaming might help too. Then take super glue and a small screw clamp as used in woodworking, pad the jaws and slowly screw it down and leave for a day or two. Caution is needed but it will likely work. A vice might be too dramatic and cause cracking.
 
Will Power said:
Could be from being in a dry atmosphere during winter? Horn can be troublesome.

I advise keeping it in a damper environment (humidifier or humidor cigar box if you have one!) for a couple of days if possible. Careful steaming might help too. Then take super glue and a small screw clamp as used in woodworking, pad the jaws and slowly screw it down and leave for a day or two. Caution is needed but it will likely work. A vice might be too dramatic and cause cracking.
Click to expand...
good point Will, highly possible due to the dry winter. But I remember last time I took it out was just weeks ago (also in winter), but didn't feel so uneven.
I'll try your way and see if it's getting better.

If you could help to try to explain why this uneven assembling happen will be further appreciated. (just wanted to learn more).
 
Jody744 said:
Buy a new knife!!! I think horn will flex over time naturally, good advice above
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will definitely do, but never online again.
I have been imaging a day I physically went to a knife shop with Laguiole and Le Thiers knives, will bring all the wanted models back home:D

horn flexes may not true in this case, I've seen this forum for years but never seen a similar case 🤣
 
Dextar the horn that is used for knife handles is cut and flattened during processing. The problem is that over time some pieces want to go back to their original curved shape and slowly start to curl. That's what's happening to your handle. There's not a hole lot you can do for this. You could try getting some epoxy under there and clamp it. Use a pony clamp so you can get one end in between the liners inside the knife. There tends to be a lot of pressure at that point and it may just pop out again though. You could also try getting some matching paper (black?) and slide some pieces into the gaps, then douse it with super glue. When dry trim it off and sand it down. It will probably be noticeable but you'll at least have a comfortable knife. Will Powers' advise is also spot on.

Eric
 
I'd do it a little different. If you look close it appears that, even if the scale was bent back, it would still leave a gap at the bolster. It also looks like the other side also has a gap. So what I'd do is get some gap filling glue, like Bob Smith or Insta-cure, and slowly fill those gaps. then once that was done you could sand down the high points and there's little likelihood it would move again. But along with that, once I had the gaps filled, I'd put a good wax coat on all the exposed horn to mitigate any humidity issues.
 
yablanowitz said:
Why I hate horn for handle material. This knife was perfectly fitted when I got it. This is what it looked like a year later.





If it wasn't a Traditional Forum knife, I'd scrap the horn and make new covers out of something else.
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Jack yablanowitz yablanowitz - don't let it being a Forum Knife knife hold you back. Take the horn covers off and recover as you like. Others have done it and as far as I know, no one has taken issue with anyone for doing it. Just store the original overs with the Forum Knife.
 
OP, was it a le fidele?

I had a similar issue with wooden covers and ended up filling the gap with glue.
 
Eric ea42 ea42 knows about working with various materials more than we all do. :thumbsup:

Horn can be problematic stuff, much depends on the grade/quality of the original 'owner': diet, location, conditions, genetics, fighting even. Type of animal and density, flexibility of the horn. Then how it was stored and cured, how it was bent to shape and for how long, sawn etc. These are unknown factors when you buy a knife with it as scales. Seems to me it is more kind of 'alive' than other materials (I believe it's made up of hair not bone or enamel like tusk which is tooth ) . Certainly atmospheric conditions do impact on its behaviour, it dislikes extreme variation in humidity, dryness can cause shrink but extreme damp may promote warp.

Here in Scandiland it's generally very dry outdoors because of extreme long cold winters, indoors is warm and very dry too, I have to use a humidifier as it can be just 11% which is bad for skin, eyes and throat. One Sardinian friction knife I keep out at the country place which is an old wooden house as it breathes more and is far moister, there the knife's pivot is firm and the pins flush, bring it to town in winter and it flips open and the pins protrude. And yet, many of my Horn knives are OK and you can see really old vintage horn knives 120years plus with wonderful handles, they MAY have had different curing techniques then which are lost, or the animals were more vigourous less damaged by toxins?

One last point, I'd be careful of using expanding glue like 'Gorilla' it really does swell up and could make matters worse !
 
ea42 said:
Dextar the horn that is used for knife handles is cut and flattened during processing. The problem is that over time some pieces want to go back to their original curved shape and slowly start to curl. That's what's happening to your handle. There's not a hole lot you can do for this. You could try getting some epoxy under there and clamp it. Use a pony clamp so you can get one end in between the liners inside the knife. There tends to be a lot of pressure at that point and it may just pop out again though. You could also try getting some matching paper (black?) and slide some pieces into the gaps, then douse it with super glue. When dry trim it off and sand it down. It will probably be noticeable but you'll at least have a comfortable knife. Will Powers' advise is also spot on.

Eric
Click to expand...
Thank you for the very detail explanation Eric. Seems it's a nature problem, or not a problem as it just wanted (and on the way) to go back to the original curved shape.

I appreciate your advices, it's very kind of you, seems a more doable solution is to have a comfortable knife other than a visible perfect (no gap) knife.

Have a good one!
 
eisman said:
then once that was done you could sand down the high points and there's little likelihood it would move again. But along with that, once I had the gaps filled, I'd put a good wax coat on all the exposed horn to mitigate any humidity issues.
Click to expand...
:thumbsup: thank you!
 
yablanowitz said:
Why I hate horn for handle material. This knife was perfectly fitted when I got it. This is what it looked like a year later.





If it wasn't a Traditional Forum knife, I'd scrap the horn and make new covers out of something else.
Click to expand...

Just minute before, when I reply Eric's reply, I typed in "I haven't seen any similar case in this forum"😂
Seems it's a really problem, but I have to say horn material, the texture, look & feel are really charming. 2 sides of same coin.

In the latter choices, I will consider horn material in only EDC light-using knives but not outdoor knives.
 
Will Power Will Power ea42 ea42
Sincerely appreciate all of your inputs, I learn a lot from you!

Will Power said:
Eric ea42 ea42 knows about working with various materials more than we all do. :thumbsup:

Horn can be problematic stuff, much depends on the grade/quality of the original 'owner': diet, location, conditions, genetics, fighting even. Type of animal and density, flexibility of the horn. Then how it was stored and cured, how it was bent to shape and for how long, sawn etc. These are unknown factors when you buy a knife with it as scales. Seems to me it is more kind of 'alive' than other materials (I believe it's made up of hair not bone or enamel like tusk which is tooth ) . Certainly atmospheric conditions do impact on its behaviour, it dislikes extreme variation in humidity, dryness can cause shrink but extreme damp may promote warp.

Here in Scandiland it's generally very dry outdoors because of extreme long cold winters, indoors is warm and very dry too, I have to use a humidifier as it can be just 11% which is bad for skin, eyes and throat. One Sardinian friction knife I keep out at the country place which is an old wooden house as it breathes more and is far moister, there the knife's pivot is firm and the pins flush, bring it to town in winter and it flips open and the pins protrude. And yet, many of my Horn knives are OK and you can see really old vintage horn knives 120years plus with wonderful handles, they MAY have had different curing techniques then which are lost, or the animals were more vigourous less damaged by toxins?

One last point, I'd be careful of using expanding glue like 'Gorilla' it really does swell up and could make matters worse !
Click to expand...
 
I had a nice Solingen made mini trapper that I liked a lot until the horn curled up.
I solved the problem by giving it to my neighbor ............ but, even that was problematic, as he returned to my door and wanted to know why the horn covers was curling up.
It seems the Sheffield cutlers have some unwritten secret about selecting horn or some secret treatment.
Good luck ! ;) 🤣
 
I do not have experience with horn handles, but with woodworking. I would steam the handle with a wet rag and heat gun, hotter than could be touched, and, then clamp it back in place to dry/cool. If it stayed, I'd inject CA glue under it with a syringe.
 
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