Tomb of the Lost Knife!

Rick, it looks like your picture sets should scan up and down, but they don't. However, you are onto something there! Thanks for the effort!
I did very little rubbing over the etch, just a slightly oily cloth, then a chamois. But it did clear it up a little. A slight angle change on the scanner may have helped also. I think it is not as dramatic as it appears in the pics. It was always pretty clear. What flaws and scratches there are, are over the etch, so I believe it confirms its authenticity.
I avoided any polishing, so you will see some tarnish on the liners and so forth.
It can always be polished, but once patina is gone, it's gone for good. My goal was to preserve the bone and metal, and leave as much as possible that is original.
 
Charlie, I have just caught up with this thread...Woow!!...nice knife...very nice, I am a fan of your threads...the knife looks as though it needs to come to New Zealand for some time eh?
I am awaiting for my "newie" to arrive,...an old Queen, I would dearly love you to have a look as well and let me know just what your thoughts are on it.
Take care Charlie, and please show us more of your knives.
Duncan
 
I'd like to thank everyone for the positive comments and advice!
I'm sure you have all noticed that I could have deepened the "cleaning" extensively, but chose to leave it as original as possible. I just tried to halt anything in progress.
I wiped it down for the final scans, but replaced a liberal mineral oil coating on all the metal before putting it aside for now. The bone has enough oil in it.
I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that it is actually harder than I thought to find a knife of some age that hasn't been "cleaned" to some extent.
Perhaps I am becoming a purist, but I trust shiny knives less and less as time goes by.
I'll post some more pics and info here about this subject soon.
 
Charlie, You are right almost everything old has been cleaned. It is nice to find
a old knife that good that has not been messed with. I agree that a few years
back when I started in old knives most had been buffed. I now look for knives
like your old KK. Nice job saving the finish on your old knife.
 
As usual, I'm late to the party. Very nice knife Charlie and a great effort on your part to maintain it to as close to it's original condition as possible. Thanks for sharing.
 
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Very nice, I am glad you decided not to totally rehab the knife and left the the spirit and soul intact. Sweet looking knife that has a lot to offer it's care taker! Steven
 
Charlie,
I gotta ask. Are the joints flush to the bolsters when it is closed. I love that pup and knew you would not make it all nice and shiny looking.
 
Just went back to this thread because it was bookmarked for some reason. I see I never answered your question, Gus!
I'm not sure I understand it 100 percent, but, the springs are flush both open and closed, and is has semi-sunk joints, as you might see from the closed pictures.
Does that cover your query??
Kinda nice to read through this again - it's like going through the photos of a nice vacation you had - a trip down memory lane.
 
awesome knife Charlie!

love the bone and the blades, have to get an oldie too
thay have "something" I feel
Maxx
 
This is a spooky time of year!
I heard a "clank" and a "sigh" in my safe!!:eek: I opened it up, and at first, nothing looked amiss . . . . . .but then I saw one of the drawers open about 1/4 of an inch!!:confused:
What is up, I thought?? A sulphur-ish odor!! Hmmm??
I slowly slid the drawer open, and there was my old Tomb-knife, along with an Angel coin someone put through my mail slot a few years ago!!

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But where are the other knives?? There used to be about 25 of them in there!!:eek::eek:
No-one has been in that safe!! I am the only one who knows the combination!!:grumpy:
I don't know what is going on!:confused:
I know that knife had a questionable upbringing, but I have treated it kindly . . . . . .maybe it doesn't like being a safe queen!!??
It has spent 99% of its life shut away somewhere (read the opening page of the thread!) so maybe it is rebelling!!??
I will put it in a display case where everyone can see it, after a nice rubdown, and a liberal dose of mineral oil!

I see the other knives that were in the drawer are in adjacent drawers!!! What the devil has happened, hmmmmm??:eek:

Who is that knocking on my door?? Trick or what???
There be devils out there!!:eek::eek:


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Great find, Charlie, and great, honest job of cleaning. Knives this historic and in this condition don't deserve to be "cleaned to mint".
 
Charlie, thanks for bringing this thread back up, since I'm fairly new to the forum I never saw it. That knife is a real catch, one we all dream of finding.
Just the right amount of cleaning and preserving.
 
That sure looks good Charlie :) Great read too :thumbup:
 
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