Old knife new life

[rockman0]

Neglected or abused knives that you have given new life, reprofiled blades, new covers, or just a getting the rust off and giving it a face lift so to speak. Before and after pictures are great but not a requirement. Post em up whether you did the work or not.

Here's a made in Japan Sabre brand granddaddy barlow. First pictures are after soaking in wd40 for a week. The rust was heavy and it had some blade play. Got the blade play out and cleaned up. Just needs sharpened and it will be done.

 

[Will Power]

Very skilled job you've done there, admirable.

All too often the cry goes up "Don't clean knives!!" Understand this if it's an example of a very rare knife or it has expensive or delicate scales that could get damaged by over keen cleaning or a buffer ride But for ordinary knives that have fallen into neglect, it's very enjoyable to carry out restoration cleaning that will a) save it from further degradation and b) make it appealing for regular carry. Who wants to carry a knife that's stiff with rust, fouled by verdigris and stains up your clothes? Right! Don't have any examples in pics but looking forward to seeing others' Lazarus type knives

Mind you, I'm at the stage of thinking that I'm Old Life but need a New Knife

 

[rockman0]

Well said Will I agree 100%

Very skilled job you've done there, admirable.

All too often the cry goes up "Don't clean knives!!" Understand this if it's an example of a very rare knife or it has expensive or delicate scales that could get damaged by over keen cleaning or a buffer ride But for ordinary knives that have fallen into neglect, it's very enjoyable to carry out restoration cleaning that will a) save it from further degradation and b) make it appealing for regular carry. Who wants to carry a knife that's stiff with rust, fouled by verdigris and stains up your clothes? Right! Don't have any examples in pics but looking forward to seeing others' Lazarus type knives

Mind you, I'm at the stage of thinking that I'm Old Life but need a New Knife

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Lot of character in that knife.

I have a fond memory association with that 'Sabre' brand from Japan. My Dad used to use a Sabre-branded fish knife to clean all the trout we caught on fishing trips back in the '70s, in New Mexico & Colorado. Nothing fancy about that knife, with just yellow plastic covers and a bail. But it's the one knife I wish I had today - it was dropped or left on a stream bank somewhere after cleaning some fish, and was lost forever. But I still smile at the memory of it, each time I see a reference to the brand.

 

[rockman0]

David, nice memory of your dad, I remember having a case XX hunter when I was 11 or 12, wish I still had it.

Lot of character in that knife.

I have a fond memory association with that 'Sabre' brand from Japan. My Dad used to use a Sabre-branded fish knife to clean all the trout we caught on fishing trips back in the '70s, in New Mexico & Colorado. Nothing fancy about that knife, with just yellow plastic covers and a bail. But it's the one knife I wish I had today - it was dropped or left on a stream bank somewhere after cleaning some fish, and was lost forever. But I still smile at the memory of it, each time I see a reference to the brand.

 

[r8shell]

Nice looking job there, Rob!

Very skilled job you've done there, admirable.

All too often the cry goes up "Don't clean knives!!" Understand this if it's an example of a very rare knife or it has expensive or delicate scales that could get damaged by over keen cleaning or a buffer ride But for ordinary knives that have fallen into neglect, it's very enjoyable to carry out restoration cleaning that will a) save it from further degradation and b) make it appealing for regular carry. Who wants to carry a knife that's stiff with rust, fouled by verdigris and stains up your clothes? Right! Don't have any examples in pics but looking forward to seeing others' Lazarus type knives

Mind you, I'm at the stage of thinking that I'm Old Life but need a New Knife

I agree. Of course, a rare example of a cutler's work, with historical value should be left alone, but once the main blade is broken off, I feel free to re-shape it into something usable.
Here's a Walden Knife Co. before and after:

 

[r8shell]

This A.W.Wadsworth knife was the most far gone example I've ever tried to rehabilitate:

After a lot of cleaning and a bone graft:

 

[Will Power]

Nice looking job there, Rob!

I agree. Of course, a rare example of a cutler's work, with historical value should be left alone, but once the main blade is broken off, I feel free to re-shape it into something usable.
Here's a Walden Knife Co. before and after:

Ingenious work Kind of Demi-Sheepfoot Much better than leaving it to rot. Your later pics of the Wadsworth show skill & patience, maybe you're a cosmetic surgeon by day....

 

[r8shell]

I don't mean to take over the thread, but here's just one more. I just worked on it today.
A while back @Jack Black sent me a box of knives that needed a little "fettling" including this William Rodgers Jack with horn handles and worn blades.

I kind of hated to remove a lot of steel, but the pen blade blocked the nail nick on the main, so it was nearly impossible to open. I went ahead and ground away, and the main blade is perfectly usable now. Unfortunately, the nail nick on the pen blade is cut too shallow to get any purchase with my thumbnail. I'm not sure what to do about that, but at least it's out of the way.

 

[rockman0]

Great job Rachel I knew you would have a few good examples thanks for sharing !

Nice looking job there, Rob!

I agree. Of course, a rare example of a cutler's work, with historical value should be left alone, but once the main blade is broken off, I feel free to re-shape it into something usable.
Here's a Walden Knife Co. before and after:

 

[rockman0]

The Wadsworth is well done, before picture looks likd it needed to be tossed.

This A.W.Wadsworth knife was the most far gone example I've ever tried to rehabilitate:

After a lot of cleaning and a bone graft:

I don't mean to take over the thread, but here's just one more. I just worked on it today.
A while back @Jack Black sent me a box of knives that needed a little "fettling" including this horn handled William Rodgers Jack with horn handles and worn blades.

I kind of hated to remove a lot of steel, but the pen blade blocked the nail nick on the main, so it was nearly impossible to open. I went ahead and ground away, and the main blade is perfectly usable now. Unfortunately, the nail nick on the pen blade is cut too shallow to get any purchase with my thumbnail. I'm not sure what to do about that, but at least it's out of the way.

Nice old horn covers, glad its back in action

Love the old horn scales

Keep em coming

 

[r8shell]

Ingenious work Kind of Demi-Sheepfoot Much better than leaving it to rot. Your later pics of the Wadsworth show skill & patience, maybe you're a cosmetic surgeon by day....

Great job Rachel I knew you would have a few good examples thanks for sharing !

Thanks, guys. So far, I mainly do blade shaping and cosmetic repairs. Things that don't require disassembling and reassembling the knife.
There are some true knife mechanics/artists who can really rebuild a knife. Hopefully they'll post some pictures here.

The Wadsworth is well done, before picture looks likd it needed to be tossed.

That's what I thought the first half dozen times I walked past it at the antique shop. Finally, I couldn't resist buying it just to see what would happen once I cut away the twine.

 

[rockman0]

Haha, that was a challenge accepted !

That's what I thought the first half dozen times I walked past it at the antique shop. Finally, I couldn't resist buying it just to see what would happen once I cut away the twine.

 

[Headwinds]

Here's a Walden Knife Co. before and after:

For some reason that knife always reminds me of a Mack truck.....

 

[MerryMadMonk]

Several years ago I lost one of my favorite knives. I looked for it a looooonnnng time. How in the heck could I have lost a yeller knife. After 3 years of being lost, my son-in-law found it in an old (leaky) storage shed. "This one of yours?" "Heck yeah!"

Of course, I had looked everywhere, but that old shed. Actually, I can't count the number of times that I had gone in and out of that shed and never saw it sitting on a shelf where I had evidently last placed it, but I wasn't looking for my lost knife there!

This is what it looked like when found...

And after some TLC...

Still gets carried and used from time to time with a mind towards not losing it again!

 

[rockman0]

Old yellar has some character now Al
Cool memory of a cooler knife

Several years ago I lost one of my favorite knives. I looked for it a looooonnnng time. How in the heck could I have lost a yeller knife. After 3 years of being lost, my son-in-law found it in an old (leaky) storage shed. "This one of yours?" "Heck yeah!"

Of course, I had looked everywhere, but that old shed. Actually, I can't count the number of times that I had gone in and out of that shed and never saw it sitting on a shelf where I had evidently last placed it, but I wasn't looking for my lost knife there!

This is what it looked like when found...

And after some TLC...

Still gets carried and used from time to time with a mind towards not losing it again!

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

Olean Cutlery Co bought at a flea market for a whopping 5 bucks. Bit of tip missing and a broken pin in the handle scales.

Took care of the active rust spots,most of the blade is just dark patina. Fixed the tip,found a couple of finishing nails that was the exact size for the pins,lucky me

made a sheath from a new tool belt,

it even has a full welt
Scales are ebony btw

 

[rockman0]

Nice job David, the ebony scales alone are worth 5 bucks

Olean Cutlery Co bought at a flea market for a whopping 5 bucks. Bit of tip missing and a broken pin in the handle scales.

Took care of the active rust spots,most of the blade is just dark patina. Fixed the tip,found a couple of finishing nails that was the exact size for the pins,lucky me

made a sheath from a new tool belt,

it even has a full welt
Scales are ebony btw

 

[r8shell]

Several years ago I lost one of my favorite knives. I looked for it a looooonnnng time. How in the heck could I have lost a yeller knife. After 3 years of being lost, my son-in-law found it in an old (leaky) storage shed. "This one of yours?" "Heck yeah!"

Of course, I had looked everywhere, but that old shed. Actually, I can't count the number of times that I had gone in and out of that shed and never saw it sitting on a shelf where I had evidently last placed it, but I wasn't looking for my lost knife there!

This is what it looked like when found...

And after some TLC...

Still gets carried and used from time to time with a mind towards not losing it again!

The patina makes the yellow handles look brighter.

Olean Cutlery Co bought at a flea market for a whopping 5 bucks. Bit of tip missing and a broken pin in the handle scales.

Took care of the active rust spots,most of the blade is just dark patina. Fixed the tip,found a couple of finishing nails that was the exact size for the pins,lucky me

made a sheath from a new tool belt,

it even has a full welt
Scales are ebony btw

That looks great. Well done!

 

[Horsewright]

Some very nice work going on in this thread!!

I often hear some good stories about what happened to knives. This one was lost in a return alley from a cattle squeeze. It was buried in manure for several months:

We decided to go with elk instead of the mammoth ivory this time:

Guy lost this one in a set of corrals. Several months later his toddler daughter pulled a "stick" out of the ground:

When ya start out 10-20,000 years old the world can be a chippy place:

Sometimes a new puppy can find the wrong chew toy:

AEB-L is a very tough stainless steel. Probably the toughest. Heck its lawnmower tough:

Don't put the kitchen knife in a sink full of water. Don't put the kitchen knife in a sink full of water. Don't put the...........