Repair and Modification of slip joint knives?

ThundarStick · Jan 20, 2012

Here are some pictures of my first attempt at modification of a slip joint knife. This one started as a Case muskrat. My goal was to pull one blade, spring, and spacer, take a little off the spring to let the blade fall back more and round out the spine of the blade, yealding a thin flowing single blade knife. All was going well, untill I cracked a scale at the middle pin. I hade a set of scales, so now was as good a time as any to learn to replace scales as well!

One question I have. Would it be wrong to put the original sheld back on the knife, or should I use something else, or just leave it necked?

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Railsplitter · Jan 20, 2012

I think it looks great as is. Nice job!

I do like shields though so I vote for putting the shield back on.

LKJW · Jan 20, 2012

I don't think it would be wrong, but I think it looks great as is. Nice work.

Gevonovich · Jan 20, 2012

No shield is my vote or your own shield would be cool. I would love to see a full tutorial on the breakdown and rebuild if you are of a mind. I have been wanting to do this as well but have a few questions. What is the best way to get the pins out? Are the pins friction fit into the blade and then peened..how? i guess i will just have to do it and learn

TLARbb · Jan 20, 2012

Gevonovich said:
No shield is my vote or your own shield would be cool. I would love to see a full tutorial on the breakdown and rebuild if you are of a mind. I have been wanting to do this as well but have a few questions. What is the best way to get the pins out? Are the pins friction fit into the blade and then peened..how? i guess i will just have to do it and learn

It looks great as it is. Unless you've practiced inletting bone for a shield before, I recommend you leave it like it is. That's really a nice job.

Ed J

ThundarStick · Jan 20, 2012

Thanks for the compliments! The next hurdle is to take the other back spring and blade, fabricate new liners, scales, and bolsters for it. I'm actually leaning on trying my hand at a bolsterless frame (like a sodbuster), but need to order a few more tools first. As far as inletting goes, I have inletted a set of bone scales to fit a small skinner, free hand jigged some undyed bone for some fixed blades (tried my hand at dyeing, but that's another story in itself) carved some antler. I would definatly take the old scales and practice on them first, or some of the undyed bone pices I have lying around.
As far as taking a slip joint apart and putting it together again, books, searches and just being mechanicaly minded has all helped, along with years of tinkering and building some fixed blades in bone and antler. Buy a junker, do some searches, trial and error!

I was just worried that it would be (in poor taste) to drasticaly alter a knife and use the manufactures shield?

TLARbb · Jan 20, 2012

ThundarStick said:
Thanks for the compliments! ....

... I was just worried that it would be (in poor taste) to drasticaly alter a knife and use the manufactures shield?

Quoting the Aflac goat "Nah, Nah, Nah". You have modified the original Case knife, but it is still a Case knife and the shield would be appropriate if you want to do it. I have had a similar thing done to a sowbelly stock/cattle knife. Don Seals did the work for me. It's still a Case knife IMO.

Ed J

ThundarStick · Jan 21, 2012

So that midified sowbelly is yours! I always thought knife was a wonderfull work and inspired me to do mine! As I said, my origonal plan was to do the muskrat in a simular fashion, keeping the origonal scales.