# Repairing and Rebuilding Vintage Pocket Knives



## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

Anyone have experience repairing or rebuilding old pocket knives? I have a vintage Boker that my dad gave me years ago. It was well worn when he gave it to me, and now it's too worn out to even use. I'd love to have it rebuilt, but based on what I've found online it would cost hundreds to have a professional do it. It's a skill I wouldn't mind learning anyway. I see a lot of quality, worn out or broken knives on ebay that go for a reasonable amount. I'm not even sure if replacement blades are available anywhere. If you have knowledge about pocket knife repair, please share it here.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Bob, do not know of any real scource of knowledge on knife repair, but they have a knife show in
Missoula every year with a lot of knife makers that show up. There would have to be one or two
people in that group that would have the information you seek. If not it is a nice group to just visit
with.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

I've made replacement handles for a few (out of wood as well as homemade micarta), but never more in-depth than that. There are some good resources out there though, such as USAKnifeMaker that have lots of parts, guides, videos, etc.. A quick google will also turn up a bunch of information.

Cheers,
Brad


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Will be glad to help any way I can, Bob.

Never restored a knife, but should be similar to a plane or drill? 

Are you hoping to restore a folder or fixed blade knife?


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

I'm watching this thread with interest. I am replacing scales on an electrician's folding knife and will gladly learn anything to make it better than new when I reassemble it.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

> Are you hoping to restore a folder or fixed blade knife?
> 
> - terryR


Folding pocket knife Terry, like the one in the picture. This isn't my knife, but it's the same make and model. Mine is way way more worn out though. Need to replace the blades, and my scales have a chip out on one side.

The seller of this knife says it was made in the 1930's and I don't doubt it. Mine is similar vintage.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

I assume the pros disassemble the tool, clean all the moving parts, replace what cannot be restored?

I've never taken a folder apart…maybe buying a cheap folder kit could teach us how the parts go together?

Making new blades shouldn't be too difficult. Maybe eBay has vintage parts???


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

That's my assumption too Terry. Good idea on buying a kit, or maybe even buying a few cheap knives and taking them apart to see how they're made.

I think it would be possible to make new blades out of blank steel. I'm not sure how you'd put the little groove in them for opening the blade. I've seen a few Schrade brand replacement blades on ebay, but I don't know if the shape of the end that goes in the knife is the same on all brands. I'll keep looking.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

A dremel might carve out that lil thumbnail indention?

Looks like some quality time ahead with blank steel and files!

Here's a site to get you started on folder parts and kits…

http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=60&osCsid=hn9lqs4ud8845cvieuuuek6uj5


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Try youTube…tons of ol' timers repairing vintage knives!


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

+1 to a dremel with a cutting disk plus a steady hand for cutting the notch.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

Thanks guys. I can see there's a lot to learn about this, and it will take some time. I wish there were 48 hours in a day. The days just aren't long enough to develop the skills to be good at everything. I'm going to go watch some youtube videos.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Bob, you sound a lot like me…always wanting to learn new skills! I still want to shape ceramics and glass. Welding would be a handy skill. AND, saw sharpening one o these days again…

Got yer vintage knife apart yet?


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

Come visit me for a day Terry and I'll teach you to sharpen saws. Then you can check that off your list.

Haven't started on my knife yet. I've got a couple more saws I'm trying to knock out. Dang orders keep coming faster than I can fill them!

My son sent me a link this morning and I thought about you. This would be really cool to try on a turned bowl that has a crack in it. http://woodworkingcrazy.net/index.php/diy-glowing-inlaid-resin-shelves-by-mat-brown/


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

That's wild; I've used Acrylic, but never glow in the dark crystals!

Glad to hear about all the saw orders. Gives you more practice before I place an order! LOL


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

I made my first baby step into learning about knife repair. I picked up this Congress style knife for a reasonable price on eBay. It's a John Primble knife sold by Belknap Hardware, probably sometime between the 1930's and 1950's. I think it's a good knife, and I saw another identical NOS one that sold at auction for almost $90. This one, however, had some issues when I bought it. I knew this, but it was cheap enough that if I messed it up, no big loss. I failed to take any before pics. This is the knife as it looks now, after working on it.










The knife showed signs that someone had worked on it previously. The first issue I had to deal with was the bolster pins (A) were too short, leaving one side of the knife loose, which also made the blades wobbly side to side. I removed the pins with a small punch. This made all the blades come out, and made all the remaining parts rotate on the brass center pin (B). I took advantage of this to clean all the interior parts with fine steel wool. I then made new bolster pins out of appropriately sized nails. I'm sure this isn't the best material, but it's all I had, and this was mainly a learning exercise. Putting the blades and pins back in was a bit of a challenge because the blades are under pressure from the springs. However, I figured out a technique to do it without too much difficulty. I then cut the pins to just a bit longer than the bolsters and peened them. It doesn't look great, but for a first effort it is effective. The knife sides are now secure and the blades no longer wobble. They are actually a little too tight, but probably will loosen quickly with a little use.

The second issue was that the blades are so worn from many sharpenings that the blade tips expended out of the knife when closed. This would cause the knife to cut you when you stick your hand in your pocket. By trial and error, I filed a little off the blades at (C ) until they would go all the way inside the knife. I also reshaped the blades a bit with a file where sharpening had made a concave profile. I then sharpened the knife to a razor edge, and I'm now carrying and using it. At 3-5/8" it's a little smaller than I prefer, but otherwise I like it. I have a lot to learn, but at least my first attempt at knife repair produced a usable pocket knife.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

I've been searching for a good book on pocketknife repair. So far I've come up with two possibilities.

This book sells on Amazon for about $44. The reviews are not great. It is said to be long on filler and short on how-to. I don't think I'll buy it unless I find a cheap used copy somewhere.










This book is described as more of a pamphlet and can be bought for under $10. While it's not perfect, the reviews are better. I may go ahead and buy it.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Nicely done, Bob!


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Fantastic!
I imagine a nail will work for a very long time. Thanks for the book recommendations.

I have plenty of antler pieces if you need some for replacement?


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## mamell (Dec 24, 2015)

Bluepine, being from Montana have you ever heard of a knife maker up in your neck of the woods by the name of R H Ruana? I used to live in Darby and my brother was in Great Falls and bought me a really nice Ruana hunting knife that somehow got confiscated from me by a certain police department long ago over…well I won't go into the indiscretions of my youth, but those Ruana's were fantastic knives and the story I read was they were made of Austin Heely car springs and sold in Montana and possibly a few other places..
My brother still has his and I'd venture to guess that he could probably chop down a tree with that piece of art..


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

They still make Ruana knives in Bonner. Here's the link.


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## mamell (Dec 24, 2015)

That's amazing..Thank you Bondo.. Somehow I doubt they are still as affordable as they were back in 19xx..
They were once sold in local drug stores and even gas stations.. 
Oh what the heck am I going on about? At one time you could also buy a brand new car for under $500 and a pack of smokes for a quarter..lol
I sent my brother an email to see if he remembers how much he paid back in the good old days..


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

I have an early Ruana. It was given to me years ago by my father in law. It was given to him years before that by the old gunsmith Charles O'Neil. I've also heard the story that the early Ruanas were made from car springs, and I have no doubt that's correct. This has been my favorite hunting knife for many years. It's a small knife, but it has dressed nearly every type of big game animal in North America, and a lot of them.


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## mamell (Dec 24, 2015)

The handle looks a lot like the one my brother has and the one I had. Mine looked like 14B and my brother's 20B except for the knives we had had blades a bit more rough looking. They had no real polishing done at the time. I wish I still had mine. It definitely came in handy more than once and saved me from a pack of wild dogs in the Florida pan handle.. Lost it in California 30 years ago back when hitch hiking seemed like a good idea..


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