Saddest thing I ever saw

Badhammer

Badhammer

Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
4,528
was this little abused 703.

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Soap and water helped where it could but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Obviously the main blade has been broken and re-profiled. It also has a fair amount of blade play. The sheetsfoot looks OK but the spey doesn't look quite right either, either from breakage or from sharpening on a grinder.

One scale is missing a piece and the other side has a crack. Even for a 19 year old knife it's in pretty sad shape but for $14 and being a 700 junky I had to rescue it even if it never gets more than TLC and an occasional day outing in the pocket.

What do you guys think? Sheriff Rusty? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
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Sounds like that lil' bugger found a good home!
Sharpen it up and do a little whittling to see if the blades still have their temper.
 
In this case, I'd say it looks more 'well-used' than 'abused'. At least somebody made an effort to fix the shortened main blade (and the re-shape looks respectable, to me). It seems all it really needs is some competent re-sharpening, so long as the 'grinder treatment' didn't ruin the heat treat.

I think there's a lot of life left in that, with a little TLC. The rest of the dings & such add up to what I'd call 'character'. :)
 
Doubtfull, but a call to cust. service or an email and they will tell you. They recently rebladed an odyssey for me with an ats34 blade and those have been discontinued for a while now. If the blades still have the hardness left in them that one looks like a decent user.
I have 3 and love that pattern.
The whittling suggestion was real. Sharpen the blades that show signs of grinding and shave some soft pine or other soft dry wood. That knife should make quite a few cuts and still be relatively sharp. If it holds up to that then it's worth saving. Those blades could be cleaned up with a wire wheel. I'm sure Buck would spa treat it for you.
 
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Almost forgot... That loose blade could be fixed as well.
All in all it doesn't look to be in that bad of shape.
I say enjoy it. :)
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
A very gentle squeeze in a vise, is how I'd probably do it. Wrap the bolsters in leather/tape/fabric first, between a couple pieces of wood, to avoid putting vise 'teeth marks' on it.
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I'll give that a try. I've started re-profiling with the diamond rods on my Sharpmaker but I might have to go with my Wicked Edge to save some time.
 
Badhammer said:
I'll give that a try. I've started re-profiling with the diamond rods on my Sharpmaker but I might have to go with my Wicked Edge to save some time.
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I don't have one, but I'd bet the Wicked Edge should handle that task with ease. As for the squeeze in the vise, I'll re-emphasize GENTLE. It doesn't take much.

Good luck. :thumbup:
 
Badhammer: I have actually seen 703's in worse shape - extensive rust and pitting, as well as broken back springs. If you decide to use the the knife and can't get the Clip and Spey blades to your liking, a possible alternative might work. If I owned it, I would consider calling Leroy Remer and asking him if he could replace the two blades - plus, rehandle it. The 703 isn't his favorite knife to take apart, but at least a call might be an option. He has done a lot of work for me on 700's. If he doesn't have the blades, let me know and I can help. I have a spare Clip and Spey. Good luck.
 
Thank you Rusty and all who posted. I'm on holiday this week but worked on it a bit this morning and the profiling is coming along. May just leave it as is and enjoy it for what it is rather than what it was. It's got a good home now.
 
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That's cool. A good home for a "Colt" is a good thing. I salute your efforts. Keep me posted if I can help.
 
Badhammer said:
Thank you Rusty and all who posted. I'm on holiday this week but worked on it a bot this morning and the profiling is coming along. May just leave it as is and enjoy it for what it is rather than what it was. It's got a good home now.
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:thumbup:

I've noticed, as I've gotten better at sharpening, a lot of old 'junk' knives all-of-a-sudden look much more 'worthy', once they have a brand new and REALLY SHARP edge on them. All those dents, dings and scratches add some very attractive character to an old knife with new BITE in it. It's the best way to make it your own. :)
 
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Well put Obsessed! Most often my right front pocket is occupied by an older ding'd up slippy. Usually razor sharp. Might not look all shiny & purdy but ready to go to work!
 
I've noticed, as I've gotten better at sharpening, a lot of old 'junk' knives all-of-a-sudden look much more 'worthy', once they have a brand new and REALLY SHARP edge on them. All those dents, dings and scratches add some very attractive character to an old knife with new BITE in it. It's the best way to make it your own.
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+1 Love bringing them back to life.
 
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