How to approach this rehandle?

Any suggestions?

I picked this knife up off of eBay and REALLY like the handle. It feels great and has a cool look. I like that the handle is not two pieces. I can't figure out the pins. Are they peened over nails? They almost look lead filled. But you can see the gap that I have. I want to keep this as original as possible. OH, BTW, I've never rehandled a knife before.

 

I am betting they are rivets. Even the old school Forgecrafts still use rivets. Are you looking to refinish, or replace the handle? If you really like the character of the existing handle, keep it. Soak it in mineral oil and see if you can get it to expand a little, the just refinish it.

 

Drill the pins. I usually do a small bit right in the middle, and then switch to a bigger bit.

For a partial tang like that, I'd do a hidden tang style handle.

 

Not quite clear if you want to save the old handle or replace it? If you are going to replace the handle and you use stabilized wood and a best practice epoxy job the rivets can become decorative. Rivets could be replaced with anything you like small pins a single mosaic pin ect.
Lets see that old gal shine!

 

I agree with chop and have better success with drilling out rivets by using a smaller bit to make a pilot hole then a larger bit to get the rivet out.

I would at least take the handle off to clean up the blade. There is a lot of gunk under the handle.

 

THANKS! I would like to keep the handle if at all possible. So, I will drill the rivets out as suggested and the clean out the gunk. That seems like a pretty smart idea. Should I soak the handle in mineral oil while it is off to get it to swell up? That would give a snugger fit I would think. And then what do I replace the rivets with? Rivets? Surely you don't mean like from Home Depot! Where do you guys get this kind of stuff?

 

Check out Jantz.com, usaknifemaker, texasknife supply, or just google "corby rivet" and a few other will pop up.

 

If you plan to drill the rivets with a small diameter bit, use a punch or center punch or some such to mark the center of the rivet. Small diameter bits are flexible and will run off center. Once the hole is started, if the bit has run off center, it's virtually impossible to re-center without a mill or a lot of work.

Depending on what you're left with, cutlers rivets should do the trick. The sites MattS suggested should carry them. Never used them myself, as I use Corby Bolts. Those might work as well, but would require some additional work on the handle. They use a stepped shoulder to hold the handle in place and the hole is drilled with either a stepped drill bit, or two separate drill bits of different sizes. Cutlers rivets might....MIGHT.....go back in without much more work.

 

So I took everyone's suggestions..... and applied them to a different knife. I decided I like the above knife too much to mess up as a first rehandle.

So I'm starting with this knife:


Anybody know what it is? I don't. I just really like the cool brass pig inlay in the handle.

Which means I want to keep this handle.

I've figured out these are those cutlery rivets. I'll check Jantz for those.

For the wood, should I just lightly sand? And then do you guys stain them or just rub the with mineral oil or pig fat or what?

For the inlay do you think I can use some Testors red enamel model paint, fill the pig in and wipe away the excess?



I'll clean up the blade with some wet sand paper. I guess back then they didn't use epoxy but my understanding is you guys who rehandle apply epoxy, clamp till dry and then install the rivets. Is this correct?

Thanks for all the help so far!

 

I don't know why I have large and small pics in that post. Sorry about that.

 

I use epoxy and fasteners at the same time to make sure everything is aligned.

Love that brass inlay.

 

Would that handle fit in the other knife?

 

I don't think so. The knife at the top of the post is much larger and the handle is much larger.

 

Well this is definitely a learning process! The rivets I took out have 3/8" heads. I am scouring the internet but so far have not found such an animal. If the handle is epoxied on, are the rivets basically ornamental? Could brass plugs epoxied into place be a solution?

 

Those are big'uns... I can find lots of 1/4 and 5/16...

 

What about a 3/8 brass rod? Epoxy is great for holding to pull strengths, but the pins help it with sheering (sp?)strength.

 

That's kind of what I was thinking.

 

Man, it has been a PITA tracking down 3/8" compression rivets. I think, hope, I finally have a lead on some. Should I put the knife back together with just the two rivets as it was originally made?
Or should I also use epoxy? If so, any specific kind/type of epoxy? The choices are overwhelming.

Thanks!

 

i would always use both types of fastener. at the least 5 min epoxy, 2 ton better and ther are others

 

This knife is a Robeson RED PIG knife. It came in many blade shapes and sizes. a very good quality knife.