Should I try to repair a slightly loose pommel on my PAL-RH36?

ArcheoMark

ArcheoMark

Joined
Jun 13, 2013
Messages
40
I recently purchased a PAL RH-36. It is in good condition except that the pommel is a little loose. It seems that the first leather washer next to the black spacer below the pommel has shrunk just a bit. Should I try to fix this? If so, what would be the best way to go about doing this? I did not furnish pictures because I am having trouble loading pictures onto my laptop. Thanks everyone.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums. I don't know if you are new here, but I assume you are because this is your first post.

If I had the knife, and if I wanted to fix it, I would remove the pin from the pommel so that it could be removed and add a leather washer or a spacer made out of plastic or aluminum. I would first try to tap the pin out using a hammer and punch. But if that didn't work I would use a drill press to drill out the end of the pin and then tap it out. I would then replace the pin with either a piece of rod of identical diameter, or I might use a bolt and a cap-nut.

I don't know if your knife has any collector value, but this is something I would check before doing any work on it. Modifying a knife in any way can greatly reduce it's collector value.
 
Killgar -

I also recently got a RH-36 with a loose pommel. The pin is broken and allows the pommel to move forward and backward along the axis about 2/3 of the pin diameter. Do you know what the diameter and composition of these pins is? I'd like to fix it to as close as to original as possible. I'll need to drill mine out from both sides and then figure out how to get the small third piece out without damaging anything.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
Killgar -

I also recently got a RH-36 with a loose pommel. The pin is broken and allows the pommel to move forward and backward along the axis about 2/3 of the pin diameter. Do you know what the diameter and composition of these pins is? I'd like to fix it to as close as to original as possible. I'll need to drill mine out from both sides and then figure out how to get the small third piece out without damaging anything.
Click to expand...
Sorry, but I don't know the diameter or composition of the pin. I don't own one of these knives, I based my thoughts on this matter using pictures I've seen online. As for the metal that the pin is made of, I would assume that it is just cheap steel or perhaps nickel (after you remove it, a magnet can tell you if it's steel). It shouldn't be difficult to find something to replace the pin with. Aluminum, brass, and steel rods (both stainless and non-stainless) are widely available.

I've performed this same procedure on old Kabars replacing the pin with either a bolt and nut (so that I could take the knife apart anytime I wanted), or I made a pin from a section of a nail.
 
killgar said:
Sorry, but I don't know the diameter or composition of the pin. I don't own one of these knives, I based my thoughts on this matter using pictures I've seen online. As for the metal that the pin is made of, I would assume that it is just cheap steel or perhaps nickel (after you remove it, a magnet can tell you if it's steel). It shouldn't be difficult to find something to replace the pin with. Aluminum, brass, and steel rods (both stainless and non-stainless) are widely available.

I've performed this same procedure on old Kabars replacing the pin with either a bolt and nut (so that I could take the knife apart anytime I wanted), or I made a pin from a section of a nail.
Click to expand...

I'd recommend stripping the blade and using a brass pin, give it a cool old-world feel (Ka-bar that is, not sure about mentioned knife).
 
I just took a quick look and I believe the pin is steel, based on some oxidation. Mine measured at 19/64. But, I have a cheap caliper and my eyes are not what they used to be.
 
Cheap caliper beats no caliper, hands down. :D All I have is a bunch of measuring tapes and old rulers/yard sticks.
 
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