WWII Ka-Bar knife left in the rain

V

vormwald

Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
17
Dear Sir/Ma'am,

I have my fathers WWII Ka-Bar USMC fighting knife from 1941 that I would like to have restored to it's previous mirror finish as my father hand crafted it to. It was lost outside for some time.

There has been some major and minor pitting to the blade but it still appears to be good stock. I have tried to restore it's original luster, I do not have the gifts of my father to do so.

I also need the handle re-wrapped in leather as it is gone and dry rotted away. I'm not sure if anyone here perform's this kind of work, this is why I am making this request and the cost of this work.

I would appreciate anyone with the skill to repair this damage answering this thread, or pointing me to the right person to repair this damage. I also have photo's of the damage to the blade and handle.

I hold this as a very sentimental item to me, as it as all that I have left of my father and our legacy to the United States Marine Corps.

Sincerely,

Tom Vormwald (Former - Sgt. USMC)
136 Bridle Lane
Loveland, Ohio 45140
(513) 774-9972

http://www.j4fteam.no-ip.org/knife/Kabar_left.jpg

http://www.j4fteam.no-ip.org/knife/Kabar_right.jpg
 
I am not a professional, and do not repair knives, or know anyone who does, but I can make a few suggestions.

I do not see "Ka-bar" stamped on the blade. If that knife is actually a "Ka-bar" and not a reproduction by another company, I would suggest writing to the Ka-bar company or contacting them over the internet. They are probably the best source for the leather washers that compose the hand-grip. The company, if they do specialty work, may re-finish the blade because of it's significance to you.

The blade looks like it will take a lot of work, but I would bet that there is someone who can repair it.
 
Thank you, yes I have contacted ka-bar via email to see if they will re-work the blade for me.

Tom
 
I would primarily work on the knife using a nice square block of hardwood and various grades of Wet-or-Dry paper. The pits are you primary problem. I would use some polishing compound and a rubber eraser to smooth and brighten the pits. I don't think you want to remove enough material to completely flatten them out. I would work on the pits first, then smooth and polish the rest of the blade.

If you go over the knife carefully you will probably find the makers name. It is likely to be Camillus or Kabar. You could do a classic restoration job on the knife by scavenging parts from another WWII-vintage knife from the same manufacturer. You can find these online at places like ebay.com or at local flea markets. If you bought one with a good handle and a damaged blade you might get it fairly cheap (and get a sheath in the bargain). Stacked leather handles are composed by a stack of flat leather washers surrounding a rectangular tang. The stack is held in place by the butt cap which is usually secured by cross pins. Getting the cross pin out can be a bit of a problem.
 
Dave,

Thanks, I've sent him an email and I also spoke on the phone with Bob Dozier of Spingdale, Arkansas who was recommended by Ka-Bar to try and restore the blade to what it used to be.

I cannot stress enough that this item is of no real value to anyone other than myself.

I have my own KaBar that I carried all over the world, but it means nothing with the loss of my fathers KaBar.

I would give my Toledo Sword to have this old KaBar restored.

http://www.j4fteam.no-ip.org/knife/toledo_sword1.jpg

http://www.j4fteam.no-ip.org/knife/toledo_sword2.jpg

Semper Fi,

Tom Vormwald

ColoradoDave said:
Hi, Tom.

You might want to contact Brome McCreary (BladeForums member "Wapiti") who does knife restoration and repair, and seems to be a very conscientious guy. See the following thread, where a customer asked him about restoring a valuable Bill Moran piece:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258349

FYI, Brome's website is http://www.stoneandsteel.net

Best of luck!

Dave
Click to expand...
 
Hi again, Tom,

Good to hear you've got the ball rolling. I didn't know that Dozier did restoration work, but of course he's one of the most prominent makers around.

I understand exactly how you feel about the sentimental value of your knife. I put in quite a bit of work refurbishing a 1930's-vintage Western States knife that belonged to my grandfather, who died before I was born. I was surprised and flattered when a collector asked me if I would consider selling it, but told him no way. This particular knife is similar to your Ka-Bar in many respects, but wasn't as badly pitted. The hardest part was working the fullers (blood grooves) and for that, an experienced hand with the right power equipment would have sure been nice.

Hope you'll let us know how your knife turns out.

Dave
 
I would buy a user Kabar/Mark2 like the one you have from Ebay. There are many different types available each with similar handles and sheaths. The US Camillus can often be had for $20 including a sheath.

On the user knife, I would then grind one end of the pin holding the cap in place, punch out the pin, remove the grip, clean up the blade on your knife, and install the grip on your knife.

New grip and a sheath for your knife for around $20.
 
There are not too much people restoring knives but may be good jeweller may help - they doing some resoration, cleaning etc.? Also Koval Knives sells leather rings as I remember.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
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