Welding a Blade

C

celluloidheros

Joined
Dec 31, 2008
Messages
77
Hello, I have never tried to weld an old carbon steel blade but I know it's possible. A friend of mine has used silver solder and it works well but is visible. I have seen TIG welders but don't know anyone who is an expert. Can anyone share advice on how to weld a carbon steel blade to a tang. What is the best type of welder to use and what are the best techniques. Thanks, Don C.
 
What you are describing is generally considered counterfeiting.
 
1. Phone book
2. look up welding shops
3. call

I doubt you will find anybody that will stand behind welding a blade back together for anything but a wall hanger
 
What Bill has said!^^^ Throw it in the trash & make another or buy another blade to be HTed! Nothing to be gained by welding it!
 
Fellows, lets give the chap a chance to explain what he is trying to do.

celluloidheros - post a photo of the project and what you are trying to do. As said, it is unlikely that the knife will be usable again, but if it is just something to display, it might be possible.
 
Sure- but I can think of no other reason than I stated above.
 
Hello, This is a general question. I want to learn how to do it myself. These are on antique knives with rare stamps where the blade is broken at the tang. finding a replacement blade might be difficult or impossible. I'm interested in the art and skill of doing it to bring an old knife back to life. I'm not interested in counterfeiting knives. More interesting in restoring old knives.
 
Why is that counterfeiting? Something counterfeit is based in deception and fraud. Sounds like he wants to do a repair for something that is meaningful to him.

why are we assuming that he wants to sell it deceptively?
 
There may be a language issue with wording.
I am trying to determine if he wants to save the blade by attaching a new tang ( which is done all the time), or save a tang with marks ( mostly Japanese Mei) and put on a new blade. I agree with Bill that the latter would be fraudulent.
If Celluloidheros would post a photo or drawing it would clear things up.

Just a note:
Ancient and rare broken Japanese blades with nakago marks are kept just as they are and displayed. The missing blade is not ruinous, but replacing it would be sacrilege as well as destroy all value.
 
HSC /// said:
Why is that counterfeiting? Something counterfeit is based in deception and fraud. Sounds like he wants to do a repair for something that is meaningful to him.

why are we assuming that he wants to sell it deceptively?
Click to expand...
 
If you create a fake item, as in the stamp no longer represents the finished knife or painting...whatever, your intentions don't matter.
Simple solution, done all the time is grind or x out the stamp.
 
Let's say you have a very rare Case (Remington, Schrade, etc.) knife, except the blade is seriously worn down.
Why, you get Bubba the welder to weld a new blade onto the tang. Presto! With a little grinding and polishing you have a new, rare knife with a full blade!
Except it isn't.
Even if you are a deacon in your church and are as honest as the day is long, once that knife leaves your hands most people can't tell it's been welded.
The OP has asked many questions over the years about repairing knives. He recently asked questions about how to sell knives. Whether his intent is to sell a welded blade has malice or not, the knife is counterfeit.
 
Mike Fennessy said:
I don't in any way understand what is controversial about this
Click to expand...
Bill DeShivs said:
once that knife leaves your hands most people can't tell it's been welded
Click to expand...
I think Bill sums up the problem the best here.
The problem might not be with your motives. The problem is that once it's out of your hands, you have no control over what happens with the knife. If you do a great job restoring it, the next person could try to sell it as an original, which would be fraudulent. And unfortunately, you would be complicit in that fraud unless you do something to make it obvious that the original has been modified.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Let's say you have a very rare Case (Remington, Schrade, etc.) knife, except the blade is seriously worn down.
Why, you get Bubba the welder to weld a new blade onto the tang. Presto! With a little grinding and polishing you have a new, rare knife with a full blade!
Except it isn't.
Even if you are a deacon in your church and are as honest as the day is long, once that knife leaves your hands most people can't tell it's been welded.
The OP has asked many questions over the years about repairing knives. He recently asked questions about how to sell knives. Whether his intent is to sell a welded blade has malice or not, the knife is counterfeit.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the added explanation. I guess I didn’t really see the OP question that way...but I get what you are saying
 
Bill's example seems to be about a folder with a broken blade. I can see his argument there. I was thinking about a fixed blade. I see that the OP is a folder guy, now.

Many old folding knives have the blade replaced. I am sure Bill has replaced many a blade for someone with a favorite old folder.

That aside, I can't see how the OP expects to weld a blade to the broken tang and get a usable or even acceptable looking blade. It would be far simpler to make a new blade or reshape one from an old knife. Restoration and repair usually does not lower the value much or any at all.

I am sure Bill has similar stories, but here is one of mine:
I restored an antique English handmade 1870's gentleman's sportsman folder with ten blades and other accessories. It even had a watch winding key. I picked the knife up for $45 is terrible condition. I replaced the age destroyed ivory scales and re-installed the original escutcheon plate. The scissors were missing the spring and bent, to which I straightened and fitted a new spring. Two blades were broken off at the tang - one small and one large. Luckily, neither were the ones marked with the maker's name. I made a new blade for both by re-grinding old blades I stripped out of my junk-box folders ( removing any old maker's mark). When done the knife was in really nice looking restored shape. It took several years of now-and-then working on it. It won best antique knife at a show and I sold it for $750 to a collector. He fully knew it was restored, and appreciated that.
 
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