Old Ka-Bar restoration

ohiojerry

ohiojerry

Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
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We recently lost my Uncle, who was a 30+ year Navy man. While cleaning his apartment, one of the items I came across was this Mk II Navy Ka-Bar. Clearly the handle is in some distress. I want to incorporate this into a display of some sort, along with the flag that covered his coffin, his ribbons, etc. so I want to restore the handle. I'm aware that this is often considered an big no-no with older military knives but I am not concerned with monetary value, I want it to look presentable. Is this something I could tackle on my own, considering I've not done anything along these lines before, or should I find a pro to do it for me?

Any and all thoughts appreciated.
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Well I would say if Busse can't do it try bark River/ blackjack knives...those would be my starting points.
 
This you can tackle with preformed leather washers http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=40_363&products_id=2555

You will have to remove the pommel and glue up the stack do not toss the old stack use for reference to hand shape with a rasp and sand paper you can
darken the leather if need be with leather stain. It appears the guard is not fixed that can be remedied with JB Weld be sure to tape off the blade forward of the
guard so the JB weld doesn't squish through onto that patina wipe up as soon as you get a good firm fit. I like to glue the leather washers together with just plain
old carpenters glue again it will squish out as you apply pressure but easily cleaned with a damp cloth. Allow to dry a couple of days and you're ready to start shaping.
A trick for the round spacer shaping is 1 inch wide Shop Roll Sanding Cloth because you can make a nice long piece that you can cross over itself below the handle
to give a nice even fit around the material as you pull down on both sides in an alternating milking motion...Save the Patina on the blade that's the character of those
old Ka Bar's!!!! Good Luck
 
That does not look that bad - the tang runs the length of the handle (the leather washers are stacked and sanded in place during manufacturing) and the pommel is pinned to the tang.

I can see the pin on the pommel is still in place - so pull the handle off of the tang and see what the end of the tang looks like.

You might get lucky and just be able to get the pin out, fashion a new pin and re-assemble the blade, retaining the well-earned patina and originality.

You could wash and oil the tang to remove the rust while you were at it.

Nice old knife, and very nice of you to honor the gentleman in this manner.

best

mqqn
 
If it were me... I wouldn't replace the leather. If that one stack that is separated isn't damaged, you could definitely keep that. If you wanted you could clean it up, but in my mind you would be removing all of the signs of the knife belonging to your uncle. That is his skin oil, sweat, and use that has made the handle look like that.

Value is a non-issue, but I still wouldn't try to shine it up and make it look new. It's not new, it was used by a man who dedicated his life to service and it shows it. That is a badge of honor in itself.
 
I have my survival knife from Vietnam (Kabar) and need a good professional to restore it for me. It's only value is that I carried it. If you know of a good restoration group or person please pass it on. Thanks, Jerry in Leesburg Fla
 
Jerry,

As a Veteran, I appreciate your plans to commemorate your uncle. That said, I must agree with Skrapmetal. A 30+ year Navy man has a certain amount of "saltyness" and his blade reflects that. I would leave it as is, or maybe purchase a new one for display purposes (I think they're around $85). Ultimately, whatever you decide will be the right choice for you and your family.
 
Those are just leather washers. You can remove the pommel by unscrewing it. Slip the washers off...fit new ones... Done! I've done it before so if you're hard up finding someone send it my way and I'll fix it. Won't be 100% but close.
 
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