Help with rebuilding a fishing knife.

[Daver7]

Went to some garage sales this morning.
Picked up this knife and was told I could have it for free.
To say it needs some TLC is an understatement.
I put some Kroil on the rust spots, my plan is to take it apart and replace the sales with wood.
This is something I've never done before. My plan is to drive the pins out.
Before I start I'm looking for a heads up on how to proceed.

[country gent]

The hilt and back aree probably pins , but the scales could be headed rivets. Not a big thing replacing scales as the heads can be drilled out.
What wood are you planning on using?
I made a 3 piece pen pencil and scribe set with olive wood that was very nice. Zebra wood is a nice grain work but smells bad working it. Cherry can be nice as pear also. Walnut is a stand by too.

[TNsailorman]

Depends on how you are going to use the knife. If hunting and fishing, I would put laminated scales on it. I nearly always used laminated because the knives I made were going to be hunted and fished with. If you have a drill press, I would used the screw style threaded pins and also glue the scales in place with a really good epoxy made for that use. I used both after dropping a knife on a concrete floor and having the handle pop off on one side. Epoxy is super strong except it has a low sheer factor. Laminated handles are easy to work and they buff out beautifully. Check with a knife making supply house and you can find a bunch of tools and supplies. my way anyway, james

[HWooldridge]

Micarta makes a good handle and is almost indestructible. A lot of people also wrap handles in paracord using interesting patterns then seal with hard epoxy. I generally used mesquite or osage wood because I have quite a bit on hand.

Lots of ways to skin the cat...pun intended.

[Rockingkj]

Looks like a Western brand knife. I would not remove the pommel (the aluminum butt). The yellow handle is pinned on. Since you not try to salvage them grind the heads of the pins and pry em off. If the spacers at either end are usable leave them in place. Measure the open spot in the handle and cut your handle material to fit the length. You can fit the handle several different ways. Either drill four holes (two to side) in the metal tang handle. Or cut a piece that fits the opening in the middle of the handle. You can drill two holes through that to pin the handle scales on. Get your scales close to the shape you want then and pin then on with brass of nickel silver pins the same size as the hole s you drilled. Put on one side and drill the holes and put the other side on and drill thru the side you just drilled. I would put pins through temporary and finish shaping the handle. When shaped take out the temp pins and put some in that are 1/16” proud on either side. To affix the scales tap the pins on either side to mushroom em a bit this will keep the scales from coming off. That was long winded and sounds like more than it is.

[Bmi48219]

Never seen a fishing knife like that. More like a hunting / skinning knife to me. Is the top back end of the blade nearest the handle grooved for a thumb rest?
Whatever it is, it has a pleasing shape.

[Delkal]

Who made the blade and what are the markings? Vintage knives are highly collectible so unless the grips are cracked or missing I would just clean up the blade and enjoy it. Besides, I like the look.

If you want to start knifemaking or rehabbing old blades find some junkers with loose, cracked, or missing handles and fix them. Grips with 2 wood side scales are the easiest but knives like the one you have with the round sections of stacked leather are extremely difficult to get right.

[Delkal]

Who made the blade and what are the markings? Vintage knives are highly collectible so unless the grips are cracked or missing I would just clean up the blade and enjoy it. Besides, I like the look.

If you want to start knifemaking or rehabbing old blades find some junkers with loose, cracked, or missing handles and fix them. Grips with 2 wood side scales are easy but knives like the one you have with the round sections of stacked leather are extremely difficult to get right.

[Rockingkj]

The knife was made as a hunting knife. With the upswept blade it a skinner style blade. Appears to be rough enough and missing spacers in the handle certainly not going to hurt anything by replacing the handle.

[Delkal]

The knife was made as a hunting knife. With the upswept blade it a skinner style blade. Appears to be rough enough and missing spacers in the handle certainly not going to hurt anything by replacing the handle.

Good eye. I thought the handle looked intact so disregard my comment. Except for the part about round stacked leather being a pain to get right.

[Rockingkj]

Good eye. I thought the handle looked intact so disregard my comment. Except for the part about round stacked leather being a pain to get right.

Your right on the “H” type spacers can be a pain but they can be made and when the handle scales are replace a bit a wedge fit to make em tight will work. With the pinned pommel I would leave that alone properly removing that and reinstalling the pommel correctly is beyond most.

[TNsailorman]

Thanks for the memory jog Wooldridge, I could not think of the material I used so called it laminate. It was laminate but it was cloth and resin of some sort laminated togather to form the material called Micarta. It is almost indestructible. I am getting old now and the old memory doesn't operate as well as it did years ago. If memory serves me right they made laminate material out of both cloth and wood. I always used the cloth laminate. james

[HWooldridge]

Thanks for the memory jog Wooldridge, I could not think of the material I used so called it laminate. It was laminate but it was cloth and resin of some sort laminated togather to form the material called Micarta. It is almost indestructible. I am getting old now and the old memory doesn't operate as well as it did years ago. If memory serves me right they made laminate material out of both cloth and wood. I always used the cloth laminate. james

Hi James…we all get by with a little help from our friends (was that a song?).

Very nice cloth laminate can be made from old Levis. Glue, clamp, cure and cut to size…

[725]

When I apply scales, I first make the scales to fit, and then "fit" (clap) one side to the frame and drill the rivet holes through just the one scale with a slightly undersized bit. (Allows me to use the existing holes in the frame to match the new drill holes into the scale. Then I apply the second scale, clamp and then drill through the first scale into the second scale with the correct bit size to fit the rivets. Using an oversized bit, I just barely touch the outside of the scales to create a flare for the rivets to fit into. Glue, rivet & finish. Anyway - that's the way Ido it. YMMV. Good luck.