While on the subject of Basket cases, I bought this old Lockwood Bros. Sheeps-foot Knife, Now if you thought That Barlow was bad above,
you aint seen nothing!!! ( Spitting into Steel Bowl
"Ding")
Man...This knife was done, the Bolster spread wide apart, the Bolster Pin was broken and was rusted into the Blade and was on a 45 degree angle-making the Blade do the same in the open position, the Liners had of course spread open as well - Bolster end.
So... I took it to bits, I never have replaced a Bolster Pin, I do not have any pins - anything, so I searched around and found a Steel Panel pin nail the size of the New Hole that was just a hair width larger than original, Here I am with the Blade out ready to remove the Snapped off Pin - bad pics sorry - terrible lighting in my Shed there...
This knife was soaked in mineral oil for two weeks or so because of the Rust scale inside the Liners, on the Blade etc.
So, after Mineral Oil Bath time, I took out the Broken Pin - hey lets admit it- the Knife is so so almost gone- the Blade has severe corrosion as you can see, but I have a set of Older Ettrick's- as does Charlie- in fact Charlie's are in superb condition, mine were left to the Elements slightly! But... these Ettric's are Lockwood Brothers as well and share the same heavy set etching into the Blade YOUNGS SHEEP DIP.
Also the Shape of the long Slim Sheeps Foot Blade with a slight sway Back shape to the Spine of the Blade- and also the sudden drop down of the Sheep foot would almost define this Knife as a Rope Knife and not a Sheeps Foot Blade.
Like I said, the damage to the spread open Liners, everything- didn't look good, all I did was be able to coax the new pin steadily through - doing every thing wrong, because I spoke to Charlie after this and I didn't use any feeler gauges to ensure freedom of walk and Talk, i simply cut the pin down to leave enough room for peening, I sat the Rats Tail on a Screwdriver Shank so it was round and sat in the Rats Tail, then used the same on top of the Rats tail so I could deliver a taste of the Good Ol Heavy hammer ( not the one in Photo's).
I filed the remaining exposed Pins down and man!!!! the Snap, the perfect Half stop - the assertive snap when opening, and when Closing- I was kind Rapt with myself for the lease of life this Knife had now, the Only thing that you will see quite obviously is because I didn't Peen the Pin properly ( I think) or because of the Bolsters still suffering by being spread open the pins "sucked in a little, but for a Knife that needed to be taken apart - the actions of this Knife is as good as any other Knife- I am amazed!
I do love the Shape of this Blade, honestly- you could pocket this and use it, the Knife feels strong in every way - and get this- there is NO blade play whatsoever!!!
absolutely none at all, the walk and Talk actions have affirmative opening and Closing "Clacks", I am quite blown away after the condition of this Knife and how spread out the Liners were at Bolster end that there is no Blade play whatsoever - so theres another Sheffield who has a new taste of life after what I suspect to have been decades of lying just broken and rusted!
In the photos it looks as it the Rats tail has almost been filed away- in fact no when you hold the Knife the rats Tailed Bolsters look very nice- its just the the Pin isnt right. To me that doesnt matter, its completely usable and is probably a good rendition of what the Old Knives used to get in the days of old- get it going again and use it!
Now my friends, I know what you are going to say- its pretty cruddy work, in fact if I sent this to our mate Glenn bad, and it came back like this, I would contact him and say.." Heya matey.... ummmm - Hey Glenn, is everything ok at Home ?"
But..although aesthetically the jobs sucks, its just that the Knife works so well- that's all I wanted.
I would LOVE to be in the shed with Glenn Baddd and see just what he would do- and just what he does to do such superb work on the Knives he does- like a job like this for example.
