Hunting Knife Restoration Tips Sought

S.Workman · 3rd May 2015, 09:24 PM

Hello everyone, can someone recommend a guide to restoring old hunting knives and similar blades? I just got 2 Solingen knives, not ancient, but they could use some help. They are stag handled, with modern slotted brass/aluminum pommels. There is a touch of corrosion, and the horn and/or bakelite spacers are all cattywampus. The interwebz contain healthy advice like, "saw the tang off and then use a power wheel to buff any corrosion off the blades". I think I need a gentler touch, what do you say?

VANDOO · 3rd May 2015, 09:38 PM

WHILE USING A POWER ANYTHING IS LARGELY A POOR CHOICE FOR ANY WORK ON AN ANTIQUE, THE RULES APPLIED TO SOMETHING MORE MODERN ARE SOMETIMES A BIT DIFFERENT. IN EITHER CASE THE GOAL IS TO RESTORE AND FIX THE ITEM NOT TO HARM OR DESTROY IT. IN THE CASE OF HUNTING KNIVES THE REPAIRS ARE USUALLY DONE BY REVERSING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ITEM AND THEN REPLACING OR SECURING BAD PARTS WITH THEIR NEWER COUNTERPARTS.
THE BEST ADVICE FOR YOU WOULD COME FROM KNIFE MAKERS AS THEY WILL IMMEDIATELY SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND KNOW THE BEST TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR MAKING THE RESTORATION. YOU CAN FIND KNIFE MAKERS AT MOST GUN SHOWS OR IN ADDS IN KNIFE MAGAZINES OR PERHAPS EVEN IN THE LOCAL YELLOW PAGES. THEY ARE USUALLY A FRIENDLY GROUP AND CAN GIVE ADVICE OR FIX IT FOR A PRICE. GOOD LUCK

Rich · 3rd May 2015, 10:11 PM

If you are restoring them for use, then I'd recommend using decreasing grades of emory to clean up the blades, then sharpen them. The guards and pommels can usually be cleaned with Flitz or Never Dull or most any metal polish. Some wax polish with lots of buffing will bring up the stag. Pics would help with giving more suggestions.
Rich

S.Workman · 3rd May 2015, 11:17 PM

OK, here are some pics. I would love to get them cleaned up to carry. I live in a state where you can carry anything you want anywhere, although I usually carry smaller things. I do hunt though, so they may be tasked for that. You can see the marks, the spacers, and the strangely abused pommels.
You can see that the tang is peened within the brass slot, so to replace the spacers I think I would have to grind off the peened over end and thereby shorten the whole thing by some amount. On the hollow ground knife the spacers look to be horn, but they are plastic on the other one, bakelite or something.

trenchwarfare · 3rd May 2015, 11:22 PM

If the spacers, and ferules are out of alignment, the handle is probably loose from stag shrinkage. First, see if the pommel will unscrew with just hand pressure. If not, try wrapping in leather, or rubber and use a vice. Don't use too much force, if corroded, you might snap the tang off. If the pommel just turns around the nut, penetrating oil, and a spanner wrench is needed for the nut. Once you get the handle off, clean the blade with whatever method is needed. Really need some pictures to know how rusted the blades are. If not bad, oil, and steel wool will do the trick. Then, clean the handle components of crud, and re-assemble, using a drop of epoxy between them. Screw the pommel back on. It can be a little tricky, keeping them all aligned. They weren't made that way. Handle components were tightened down with the pommel, and final shaping was done after assemblage.

S.Workman · 3rd May 2015, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trenchwarfare

If the spacers, and ferules are out of alignment, the handle is probably loose from stag shrinkage. First, see if the pommel will unscrew with just hand pressure. If not, try wrapping in leather, or rubber and use a vice. Don't use too much force, if corroded, you might snap the tang off. If the pommel just turns around the nut, penetrating oil, and a spanner wrench is needed for the nut. Once you get the handle off, clean the blade with whatever method is needed. Really need some pictures to know how rusted the blades are. If not bad, oil, and steel wool will do the trick. Then, clean the handle components of crud, and re-assemble, using a drop of epoxy between them. Screw the pommel back on. It can be a little tricky, keeping them all aligned. They weren't made that way. Handle components were tightened down with the pommel, and final shaping was done after assemblage.

OK, so the end of the tang is threaded in there? I had thought it was peened over, but thats good news. Can you not see the amount of rust on the blades? The only one Im only concerned about is the etching on the one blade, its not too deep so I don't want to get too aggressive with the polishing.

trenchwarfare · 4th May 2015, 12:22 AM

You hadn't posted pictures when I replied. Must have been while I was typing. OOOO steel wool, and oil is all you need for the blades, It won't hurt the etching. The pommels look loose to me. There has been some sort of spanner wrench in the slots.

3rd May 2015, 09:24 PM	#1
S.Workman Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 116	Hunting Knife Restoration Tips Sought Hello everyone, can someone recommend a guide to restoring old hunting knives and similar blades? I just got 2 Solingen knives, not ancient, but they could use some help. They are stag handled, with modern slotted brass/aluminum pommels. There is a touch of corrosion, and the horn and/or bakelite spacers are all cattywampus. The interwebz contain healthy advice like, "saw the tang off and then use a power wheel to buff any corrosion off the blades". I think I need a gentler touch, what do you say?

3rd May 2015, 11:17 PM	#4
S.Workman Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 116	OK, here are some pics. I would love to get them cleaned up to carry. I live in a state where you can carry anything you want anywhere, although I usually carry smaller things. I do hunt though, so they may be tasked for that. You can see the marks, the spacers, and the strangely abused pommels. You can see that the tang is peened within the brass slot, so to replace the spacers I think I would have to grind off the peened over end and thereby shorten the whole thing by some amount. On the hollow ground knife the spacers look to be horn, but they are plastic on the other one, bakelite or something. Attached Images

3rd May 2015, 09:38 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	WHILE USING A POWER ANYTHING IS LARGELY A POOR CHOICE FOR ANY WORK ON AN ANTIQUE, THE RULES APPLIED TO SOMETHING MORE MODERN ARE SOMETIMES A BIT DIFFERENT. IN EITHER CASE THE GOAL IS TO RESTORE AND FIX THE ITEM NOT TO HARM OR DESTROY IT. IN THE CASE OF HUNTING KNIVES THE REPAIRS ARE USUALLY DONE BY REVERSING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ITEM AND THEN REPLACING OR SECURING BAD PARTS WITH THEIR NEWER COUNTERPARTS. THE BEST ADVICE FOR YOU WOULD COME FROM KNIFE MAKERS AS THEY WILL IMMEDIATELY SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND KNOW THE BEST TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR MAKING THE RESTORATION. YOU CAN FIND KNIFE MAKERS AT MOST GUN SHOWS OR IN ADDS IN KNIFE MAGAZINES OR PERHAPS EVEN IN THE LOCAL YELLOW PAGES. THEY ARE USUALLY A FRIENDLY GROUP AND CAN GIVE ADVICE OR FIX IT FOR A PRICE. GOOD LUCK

3rd May 2015, 10:11 PM	#3
Rich Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: comfortably at home, USA Posts: 432	If you are restoring them for use, then I'd recommend using decreasing grades of emory to clean up the blades, then sharpen them. The guards and pommels can usually be cleaned with Flitz or Never Dull or most any metal polish. Some wax polish with lots of buffing will bring up the stag. Pics would help with giving more suggestions. Rich

3rd May 2015, 11:22 PM	#5
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	If the spacers, and ferules are out of alignment, the handle is probably loose from stag shrinkage. First, see if the pommel will unscrew with just hand pressure. If not, try wrapping in leather, or rubber and use a vice. Don't use too much force, if corroded, you might snap the tang off. If the pommel just turns around the nut, penetrating oil, and a spanner wrench is needed for the nut. Once you get the handle off, clean the blade with whatever method is needed. Really need some pictures to know how rusted the blades are. If not bad, oil, and steel wool will do the trick. Then, clean the handle components of crud, and re-assemble, using a drop of epoxy between them. Screw the pommel back on. It can be a little tricky, keeping them all aligned. They weren't made that way. Handle components were tightened down with the pommel, and final shaping was done after assemblage.

4th May 2015, 12:22 AM	#7
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	You hadn't posted pictures when I replied. Must have been while I was typing. OOOO steel wool, and oil is all you need for the blades, It won't hurt the etching. The pommels look loose to me. There has been some sort of spanner wrench in the slots.