Repairing a loose Cattaraugus Quartermaster handle?

[BRL]

Anyone have any idea how to tighten up the handle on a Catt Q? The pommel is a little loose so the leather is too. Any thoughts would be appreciated... kinda thinking maybe I should try peening the two pins, but I really don't know how this thing is put together. Thanks in advance.

Not my photo but it's the same type of knife:

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Here's a link to a thread about a similar knife:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/654506-My-Cattaraugus-225Q

There's another link posted in the above thread, to another site, which offers a clue as to how the pommel is put together:

( quoted from site: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=31346 )

"...the Catt knife uses three independent steel disks stacked on top of each other and finished off with two nails driven through line up holes on the disks into the leather. It is a simple yet ingenious system to secure the pommel with a minimum amount of trouble and it is extremely strong."

Assuming the above info is correct, it may be as simple as (very gently) hammering down the 'nails' in the pommel a bit, to tighten it up. Other stacked-leather handles on similar knives have sometimes also been tightened up by moisturizing and/or treating the leather to make it 'swell' again. That might also be something to think about, maybe in conjunction with tapping the nails down.

I don't have any experience with these, so take this post with some caution. Just hope it might help a little bit. Hopefully, others will chime in. Good luck.

 

[Charlie Mike]

I did a re handle.

 

[David Martin]

The climate of Phoenix is bad on leather and wood. First I'd try soaking it in some light, thin oil for leather. Like Neatsfoot oil, Mink oil, Olive oil, ect.. For atleast two days. Allowing it to stand or lay in the oil. Even putting the pan in the sun to allow it to heat up the oil will increase absorption. That model knife is valuable so try using the least invasive work as possible. DM

 

[richard j]

brl, i have redone quite a few leather washer handle knives over the years and if you do not have any luck with fixing the handle by using david martins suggestions or from the link obsessed with edges posted, i would be glad to give you a hand.

here is a link to one i redone for timsclips. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/587129-Work-in-Progress-by-Richard-J