Restore compass on Vintage Taiwan 420 Fake Rambo Survivor Knife.

[Susan14]

These were big in the late 70’s and early 80’s with young teenagers. And yes I know it’s a pos made knife. I restore them and they sell well. However the small globe compass is always broken. Tried drilling and adding fluid but inside compass just dissolves. Bought new small ball type compass on line and they are just a little to big to fit inside cap. Any ideas!

 

[Alone]

Google "button compass", or search those words on Amazon or Fleabay. The options run the gamut, from cheap/crappy to expensive/bulletproof. (*From personal experience, avoid the "Marbles" stuff)

Whether you decide to use the new compass you have or find a different one, a local machine shop will probably charge you just a few bucks to mic the compass, put the butt cap on a lathe, and fit the compass to it...as long as you're not in a hurry.


Happy hunting.

 

[Danke42]

How many mm is the original ball compass? All that stuff will be off the shelf so you just need to figure out where to look.

 

[Choctaw Dan]

How many mm is the original ball compass? All that stuff will be off the shelf so you just need to figure out where to look.

+1, even though it's been a dog's age since they were made.

I have two Utica (!) survival knives that I'm rehabilitating, just to see whether there's any interest. They have external-pommel compasses that, by measuring the spot where they go, I was able to find some dang-near-perfect replacements. Mine are button-, not ball-compasses of course.

 

[Susan14]

+1, even though it's been a dog's age since they were made.

I have two Utica (!) survival knives that I'm rehabilitating, just to see whether there's any interest. They have external-pommel compasses that, by measuring the spot where they go, I was able to find some dang-near-perfect replacements. Mine are button-, not ball-compasses of course.

Thanks for the help. I may trying using the button if I can find the right diameter - a hair under 1”. Thanks

 

[Choctaw Dan]

Thanks for the help. I may trying using the button if I can find the right diameter - a hair under 1”. Thanks

They're commonly listed in millimeters, and one inch equals 25.4 millimeters. So "a hair under 1 inch" may be 24-25 millimeters?

 

[Susan14]

thanks

 

[Susan14]

How many mm is the original ball compass? All that stuff will be off the shelf so you just need to figure out where to look.

slightly less than 1” or around 22 mm