More X-Ray Fun...1960s Barrel Nut vs Flat Tang 119

[Generalist]

I'd be happy to image it and send it back if you'd like to ship it to me. I'm curious about it as well.

I imaged 9 different barrel nut knives today and none had the appearance of exterior serrations on the barrel nuts, though it might be difficult to say for sure with 2D x-ray.

 

[Generalist]

View attachment 3059770

The above is from Vern Taylor's article in the August 1997 Newsletter. With the nut serrated on the outside and then driven into the hole in the pommel, the whole pommel would have to be rotated to tighten things. I think Vern Taylor may not have described the procedure correctly. My interpretation of Taylor's comment is that the barrel nut with serrations would be pretty much the same as having a threaded pommel.

Generalist, do you have a comment?

Bert

bertl here's another account that possibly contradicts Vern's note on serrated barrel nuts being driven into the pommel. From Joe Houser's May 2001 Newsletter article. This would make more sense with the x-ray images, which appear to show smooth exteriors on the barrel nuts.

 

[bertl]

This would make more sense with the x-ray images

I agree. With Vern Taylor's comments the barrel nut wouldn't be able to rotate in the drilled hole and would defeat the purpose of the barrel nut.

 

[Generalist]

Quick update. No new revelations, just some new data.

I received 3 new barrel nuts today and x-rayed them. All 3 exhibit the later production style, with the barrel nut inserted from the butt end.



102 up close.


Total count is now 15 barrel nut Bucks x-rayed so far, and only 1 is the old style with barrel nut inserted from the blade end. That one is the melamine 102 shown earlier in this thread. The others have been a fairly equal mix of leather and fiber spacer phenolics of a variety of model numbers.