Using old (ebony) covers on a newer knife?

[pertinux]

I'm transfixed by this knife recently posted in Levine's subforum:

I would oil the joints on that sucker, and pocket it immediately. I am always simply amazed how well ebony holds up to considerable hard use and time!

Has anyone ever acquired (or commissioned the re-fitting of) a knife in which, opposite of the "put new covers on this old knife" often undertaken, old covers are placed on a new(er) knife?

Sacrilege, perhaps, but I'm thinking it could be a cool way to carry the useable, used-and-proven part of a knife forward when its original form has run its course.

-- I've seen re-bladed knives, but am wondering about the efficacy of reusing covers on a different pattern or iteration thereof, and figure if anyone has ever seen or done this, it'd be someone here.

~ P.

 

[Mink]

As early as yesterday I saw in a thread where the owner re-used some old ivory 1911 grips for scale material. As far as re-using already existing scales on a new knife, I have not come across it in my limited experience.

 

[brownshoe]

Another option, you coud put new blades in the old frame with the old spring.

 

[pertinux]

Another option, you coud put new blades in the old frame with the old spring.

Right, that's why I said this:

-- I've seen re-bladed knives, but am wondering about the efficacy of reusing covers on a different pattern or iteration thereof, and figure if anyone has ever seen or done this, it'd be someone here.

This all simply curiosity on my part, to see if someone's ever actually done this-- to specifically preserve/re-use the covers of an older knife not to preserve the knife itself but to carry its legacy (and useful quality) forward in a reimagined way.

~ P.

 

[kamagong]

Has anyone ever acquired (or commissioned the re-fitting of) a knife in which, opposite of the "put new covers on this old knife" often undertaken, old covers are placed on a new(er) knife?

Sacrilege, perhaps, but I'm thinking it could be a cool way to carry the useable, used-and-proven part of a knife forward when its original form has run its course.

IIRC the Wilfred boys have bought old carving sets just so they could use the stag. Don't know how well that would work with recycling old ebony covers. Assuming the wood is attached with adhesive in addition to pins you'd probably have to destroy them for removal.

- Christian

 

[glennbad]

I've done it with old bone covers before. They had a lot of pocket wear, and were that nice honey color, and they were nicer than the ones I had on the same style of knife, so I installed them on the other knife. I always stamp the liners with my initials on my work to let people know that the work was not original. Sadly, I don't think everyone does that.

And like that ebony you showed, you just can't get that look without some honest age and wear. It can be faked, but it's not the same.

 

[Will Power]

Yes, I've heard of old stag carvers being turned into new handles-and the results can be impressive.

But Glennbad knows what he's talking about for sure, attempting to prise old Ebony handles away could be tricky...splits etc then you would have to re-work them to get them onto a new (and likely different) frame. Oddly enough I'm looking at 3 Ebony Elephants that used to belong to my grandparents, they now reside on my desk. There used to be five and they were on an ebony stand. In an air-raid two 'perished' and the stand was destroyed, one of the survivors has a huge split and chunk out of his flank, that would've made a nice knife handle alone! It's tough stuff

 

[Tony Bose]

To build a knife around old covers would be a really tuff job Sarah. Pin holes, distance between the bolsters, load on the spring. These thing would have to be dead nut on to make it work right. If I did it it would cost a lot of money for my time. Not practical I think. You keep asking though, that's the way we all learn.

 

[pertinux]

Thank you for the thoughtful input, everyone. I of course didn't know to factor in issues with glue, holes for previous pins, etc. I can see now how these could be prohibitive.

I'm just (still) taken with the notion of carrying an older piece forward, metaphorically and literally, so shall continue to ponder. Especially because this resonates with the chord that has been struck:

And like that ebony you showed, you just can't get that look without some honest age and wear. It can be faked, but it's not the same.

Add to appearance any bit of sentiment and/or meaningful provenance, and I'd for sure want to find a way.

Tony, I'll keep asking, if only in my own brain space for the time being.

~ P.

 

[Jack Black]

Interesting thread

 

[Tony Bose]

Sarah, you keep asking here. You won't learn anything asking yourself. This bunch is more than happy to tell you anything they know.

 

[pertinux]

Sarah, you keep asking here. You won't learn anything asking yourself. This bunch is more than happy to tell you anything they know.

Thanks! For now, however, the undertaking would seem to range from ill-advised to idiosyncratic, entirely depending on a piece to be carried forward/reimagined-- which I don't personally have, at the moment, and may not ever.

The idea was brand-new to me today, inspired solely upon seeing the ebony on the knife pictured in the first post of this thread.

Should a discovery (or as-of-now-unknown heirloom!) prompt further investigation, I will have some very specific, this-is-the-material questions for the Wizards.

(Insets? Inlays? Previous hole/s filled with flush [non-functional] pins? I wonder.)

~ P.

 

[bakerg2g]

Sara, PM sent...

Jason

 

[ea42]

Sara, Tony's right on with his assesment. Filling the existing holes with pin heads likely would look kind of wierd as well, that's assuming you were able to drill new holes to fit a knife and pin them without cracking the covers. All those holes would likely make the covers extremely weak, especially when hammering pins. Then you've got the shield to contend with, which would likely not be where it's supposed to be. You might be better off finding an old piece of ebony that's from a piece of furniture, picture frame, etc (not really sure what they used ebony for besides knife handles and piano keys ). That way you'd get the aged wood along with a large enough chunk to work with. I'd actually want to keep the entire haft on something like the above knife, and search for blades from the same model, but in better shape. half the magic of something like that is the skill that went into fitting and hafting the covers, shield, etc, not just the handle material itself.

Eric

 

[richstag]

A lot of chess sets in ebony. Maybe find an old ebony queen and turn her into handles?

Sara, Tony's right on with his assesment. Filling the existing holes with pin heads likely would look kind of wierd as well, that's assuming you were able to drill new holes to fit a knife and pin them without cracking the covers. All those holes would likely make the covers extremely weak, especially when hammering pins. Then you've got the shield to contend with, which would likely not be where it's supposed to be. You might be better off finding an old piece of ebony that's from a piece of furniture, picture frame, etc (not really sure what they used ebony for besides knife handles and piano keys ). That way you'd get the aged wood along with a large enough chunk to work with. I'd actually want to keep the entire haft on something like the above knife, and search for blades from the same model, but in better shape. half the magic of something like that is the skill that went into fitting and hafting the covers, shield, etc, not just the handle material itself.

Eric

 

[pertinux]

Sarah, Tony's right on with his assesment....

I'd actually want to keep the entire haft on something like the above knife, and search for blades from the same model, but in better shape. half the magic of something like that is the skill that went into fitting and hafting the covers, shield, etc, not just the handle material itself.

Eric

Thanks, Eric. I always appreciate your input, and you've given me (yet) more to think about with the portion I've bolded above.

~ P.