I Finally did it.

[Yvsa]

I finally cut the rubber handle off of my CS Trailmaster. I am kind of slow when starting a project and doing something that is irreversible.

There was a cut through the rubber into the tang about 3" back from the guard.
I knew that water could penetrate there. I also found out it can penetrate under the guard. There isn't any kind of sealer around the inside or outside of the guard to stop it.

I am really glad I cut it off.
This is what I found.
The tang averages .735 wide X .290 thick X 4.800 long.

There is a .320 dia hole drilled through the back of the tang for the lanyard hole.
It is .312 to ctr. from end of the tang which leaves .150 at the end of the tang.

There are two pieces of .040 thick X .500 X .580 spot welded to each side of the tang to keep the guard from coming off.

It is RUSTY! I have often wondered about the way the handle was put on. I used to work in a shop where we bonded rubber to metals. Lots of Oil Patch work. When a piece of metal is properly prepared before molding rubber on it there is nothing that can get between the rubber and metal.

Now I am concerned about my SRK and CS LTC. I am going to try some of the spray that stops rust and turns it black. I have had good luck with it on other things and I think it might work well enough to fix them.

I will then put some epoxy or something around and in the groove between the guard and the blade to prevent water or anything else getting through again.
I don't know about condensation though.

If I had just acquired one of these knives I would put something around the guard and blade to prevent this from happening in the first place.

So, any of you that have these knives might want to take a very close look at them and see if there is some kind of rust preventive that you can get back under the guards and under the rubber. The Big thing about doing that is will it deteriorate the rubber?


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

 

[Roadrunner]

That could be a problem with the rubber. Actually, I don't like rubber handles all that much anyway. If I get one I'll probably take the handle off like you did and replace it with micarta or have a knifemaker do it. I have books about how to make and repair knives, I'm not just saying I would rip it up and hope I could pull it off without damaging the knife! That would be dumb.

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Just because I talk to myself doesn't mean I'm crazy. What's wrong with getting a second opinion?


[This message has been edited by Roadrunner (edited 22 June 1999).]

 

[Yvsa]

Roadrunner, that is what concerned me. I could stick a small Barlow blade down in the tear and could feel the tang. I could have possibley glued the thing,but I have never liked the handle anyway.It was to small to suit me,but I put up with it.
When I cut it off I just put the small blade in the tear and cut 1/2 way around. It came right off with no tugging. It wasn't bonded to the tang at all.

The tang is drillable so I have a lot of options. I have a nice piece of Elk Stag that may work and after reading an article in one of the knife mags about dyeing Stag it may be just the ticket.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

 

[Corduroy]

Why dontcha solder the blade-guard juncture? Is it a tight enough fit to permit this? Would look sweet and end all your worries.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)