Neglected CV Knife Restoration

[4S7N]

I've recently come into possession of a very old knife, previous owner says it's chromium-vanadium. At the hilt it's got a signature, "Knife made by James B. Lile." It's clearly corroded from years of neglect, the previous owner rarely took it out of the sheathe. I'm looking to make something of a restoration project out of it - get it cleaned up and properly sharp again. I'm a bit new to maintaining and caring for blades, so I'd appreciate any pointers, tips, or suggestions for where to begin. Can provide more information or images if requested.

 

[killgar]

Welcome to Bladeforums 4S7N.

I don't know if you know who James B Lile is, but he's one of the biggest names in the knife world.

I would recommend that you do nothing to the knife until you verify if it is in fact a genuine Lile knife. James (Jimmy) Lile knives are valuable, and I've seen that hand-scrawled signature on other knives identified as genuine early Lile knives.

There is a Jimmy Lile website with contact information. James Lile is deceased but there is a phone number listed on the contact page of the Lile website to call for seeking the value of Lile knives.

I'm inclined to believe that it's a genuine early Lile. It looks like either a Model 3 or Model 4, and the signature looks genuine compared to other signed Lile knives.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Looked at this post yesterday and also wondered if that Lile signature meant what I thought it might. I'm no expert on them at all. But I remembered seeing references to Jimmy Lile knives online & elsewhere, years ago, and the revered reputation associated with that name as a maker.

Very sound advice from killgar above.