Old knife new life

JohnDF · Feb 24, 2020

Horsewright said:
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...........

My wife has done that several times, causing me to only let her touch plastic handled stainless knives.

Jack Black · Feb 24, 2020

Enjoying this thread Rob

Nice work all of you fettlers and tinkerers :thumbsup:

r8shell said:
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:

That's a fantastic job Rachel, well done on that bone graft

r8shell said:
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.

Well done on making that one useable Rachel

I could send you this one for spares, but I'm not sure it'd be a big help!

Horsewright said:
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:

....

Excellent work Dave :thumbsup:

This Admiralty Pattern 301 British Navy Clasp Knife by Harrison & Howson just needed some cleaning up

r8shell · Feb 24, 2020

Jack Black said:
Well done on making that one useable Rachel I could send you this one for spares, but I'm not sure it'd be a big help!

Thanks, Jack! I'm afraid that one wouldn't be much help, unless I wanted a spare shield. I'll bet it still cuts, though!

Jack Black said:
This Admiralty Pattern 301 British Navy Clasp Knife by Harrison & Howson just needed some cleaning up

Wow, what a transformation! There was gorgeous stag and full blades under all that rust and crud. It just goes to show, sometimes you can't judge the condition of a knife until you clean it.

rockman0 · Feb 24, 2020

Nice work bringing those lost and found knives back to life Dave :thumbsup:

Horsewright said:
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"

rockman0 · Feb 24, 2020

Wow

the clasp knife turned out beautiful Jack :thumbsup:

Jack Black said:
Enjoying this thread Rob Nice work all of you fettlers and tinkerers

That's a fantastic job Rachel, well done on that bone graft

Well done on making that one useable Rachel I could send you this one for spares, but I'm not sure it'd be a big help!

Excellent work Dave

This Admiralty Pattern 301 British Navy Clasp Knife by Harrison & Howson just needed some cleaning up

rockman0 · Apr 11, 2020

Came to me like this, I was worried the rust had pitted it badly and the final winning bid reflected everyone had the same concern. Turned out very minor pitting which could easily be buffed completely away but I just wanted the active rust gone so I left it as you see.

rockman0 · May 31, 2020

This one cleaned up nicely. I forgot to take a picture before I cleaned it but here's the picture by the seller. I think it's olive wood? Not sure.

rockman0 · May 31, 2020

A Valley Forge I spiffed up a little. Someone had started cleaning it before I got it so I finished the job.

Got the active rust off and left it like this.

r8shell · May 31, 2020

rockman0 said:
A Valley Forge I spiffed up a little. Someone had started cleaning it before I got it so I finished the job.

Got the active rust off and left it like this.

Nice job. What a beauty! Is the secondary a worn pen, or an awl/punch?

rockman0 · May 31, 2020

Harness jack, secondary is a punch. Thanks Rachel :thumbsup:

r8shell said:
Nice job. What a beauty! Is the secondary a worn pen, or an awl/punch?

Jak3 · May 31, 2020

What’s y’all’s go to method for ironing out a little blade play? Smack the pivot with a mallet?

rockman0 · May 31, 2020

I've used soft jaws in my vice, go slow and check often, then peen the pin.

Jak3 said:
What’s y’all’s go to method for ironing out a little blade play? Smack the pivot with a mallet?

screened porch · May 31, 2020

Jak3 said:
What’s y’all’s go to method for ironing out a little blade play? Smack the pivot with a mallet?

I think a lot of us squeeze the playful end in a padded vise and then tap the pin-ends. I always slip a safety razor blade into the joint so as not to over-tighten it.

Jak3 · May 31, 2020

rockman0 said:
I've used soft jaws in my vice, go slow and check often, then peen the pin.

scrteened porch said:
I think a lot of us squeeze the playful end in a padded vise and then tap the pin-ends. I always slip a safety razor blade into the joint so as not to over-tighten it.

Next time I get an opportunity I’ll try that. Thanks

edbeau · Jun 4, 2020

rockman0, I believe your Opinel is oak not olivewood.

edbeau · Jun 4, 2020

An Opinel I worked on. It is a number 9.

edbeau · Jun 4, 2020

A Craftsman that needed a bit of TLC

hornetguy · Jun 4, 2020

rockman0 said:
This one cleaned up nicely. I forgot to take a picture before I cleaned it but here's the picture by the seller. I think it's olive wood? Not sure.

I don't know, rockman... I suppose that could be olive, but it looks like good old oak to me...nice looking opie...

hornetguy · Jun 4, 2020

rockman0 said:
Came to me like this, I was worried the rust had pitted it badly and the final winning bid reflected everyone had the same concern. Turned out very minor pitting which could easily be buffed completely away but I just wanted the active rust gone so I left it as you see.

What a find! The jigging on those handles is just fantastic!

Old Engineer · Jun 4, 2020

The latest Old Knife that I got came to me in pretty clean condition . I am pretty sure that someone had seriously scrubbed the Stag and left it pretty Dry looking to me . I thought that any Stag handled knife that old and used that much would have some Polished Up areas .
Picture as received .

All I did to it was add some Mineral Oil to the Stag and start carrying it every day to get some pocket wear to polish the Stag a little . I have no problem at all of carrying and using my Old Knives . I feel like they deserve to be used . I very often wonder where they have been and what they have done .
After oiling and a little Pocket Buffing .

Harry

Old knife new life

Seize the Lambsfoot! Seize the Day!