Old '50s set ... loose wood scales - ideas to fix?

A

At1Rest

Joined
Apr 11, 2019
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Hi there,
I've got this set of forks and knives from the '50s and the scales are loose on most of them.
Before I refinish the wood I was hoping to find a way to make them feel securely attached.
Maybe someone has an idea or 2 of how to approach this.
Thanks!

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They have that "I've been through the dishwasher a couple too many times" look about them.

The wood appears to have shrunk. I suppose you could try peening the fasteners, or tightening with a very small-faced hammer, but I don't have high hopes for success. An arbor press also might work. Splitting the wood is a very real possibility for any of those options. You also might still be left with those unsightly gaps around the rivets.

The last picture (closeup of a fork?) seems to show sanding marks on the rivet, as if someone has already repaired these once.

If you decide to go ahead with the refurb, I'd be interested in seeing the results.

Good luck.

Joe
 
Many times they are cutlers rivets and can be pressed back together. Worse comes to worse they should be easy to replicate with walnut.

As Aardvark said the wood can split if you over do it. I remade a similar handle for a lady who had her grandmothers knife but the wood fell apart.

The tang was just the right size to slide into a bandsaw kerf and made it easy. Cutlers rivets can be bought and Lee Valley and knife making supply vendors.
 
Thanks - both of you.

Yes. Ardvark. To many washings with out maintaining the finish.

I initially thought (without really thinking) that those fasteners wound be one fixed piece but ... of course ... the only way to get the wood on there would be with 2 piece fasteners.
I'll try one with a flat headed punch and something to back the other side up and see if they're able to be tightened.

I don't think I want to do a full rebuild but I'll keep in mind the terms "Cutlers rivets" just in case.
 
Looks to be a " Real Keen " set ?
Those are cutlers compression rivets and should tighten up pretty easily.
 
Thanks Hickory!
I haven't gotten to this project yet but that'll be the first thing I look at.
 
Real Keen - thanks - quite possibly - but I see no branding any where.
These were a wedding gift to my parents in 1950.
 
At1Rest said:
Real Keen - thanks - quite possibly - but I see no branding any where.
These were a wedding gift to my parents in 1950.
Click to expand...
It will be a,very faint etch on the blade.
I had a few of these from my grandparents and recognized the paintbrush style handles.
My grandfather had one he used all the time as a bait knife.
 
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