Ontario Hell's Belle Bagwell Bowie - how to fix loose guard?

K

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Mar 21, 2000
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Hi guys, I recently got an Ontario/Bagwell Hell's Belle bowie off of Ebay. It is a factory second and the reason wasn't immediately apparent until I swung the knife. The guard is just very SLIGHTLY loose. So slight, in fact, that I can't feel it move under finger pressure. However, it still makes an annoying 'tick-tick' sound during use, and especially during snap-cuts.

Is there a good way to shim up the guard without getting messy glue all over the finish?

Also, are the tangs on the Ontario bowies riveted to the handle with those steel pins I see on the outside? If so, it'll make me breathe a whole lot easier knowing that the tang isn't just simply glued into the wood.
 
I haven't handled one of these, so I don't know about the rivets, but it's safe to assume the tang isn't merely "glued" in there -- though of course it could be epoxied in placed.

A couple of drops of epoxy or super-glue might stop that loose guard from wobbling, too.
 
Hi,

The Knife, I believe has a stick type tang, and is secured by epoxy. I guess the quickest, and cheapest fix would be to use one of those epoxy injectors, and place a small bead around the guard. The only other option might be to have it rehandled.

Hope this help's!
 
I have had alot of these apart. It is a stick tang and it is glued in place as well as the guard and ferrule. You can squirt al little superglue in the guard junction and clean it up easily.

The handle pins are really no more than upholstery tacks.
 
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