Shell, yet again...

[Doc B]

My son recently got married in Rhode Island. He is a medical x-ray technician, in the Navy, stationed in Connecticut. His new wife, is from Providence, Rhode Island and her parents still live there. Since Imperial knives come from Providence...I wanted to revamp an old Imperial for her father, the weekend that I met him. The blades were a bit rough, the handles didn't look too bad...however, they were still a shell...

This is how I solder: Clean up the liners, flux, hammer out some solder and put it all on the outdoor grill, on a magnesia soldering block. A pencil line, on the liner will create a "dam", so your solder doesn't flow out to the handle area. The block is very soft and I carved out some of it to allow more even heating, with the torch. One advantage of the magnesia block is...as the solder gets heated up, it dries out and often the two items shift a bit. Not a problem for a conversion, because the bolster is a bigger square, that will get cut down later; however, I have had to resolder a bolster, that came off. The magnesia block is very soft and you can use sewing pins, stuck in to the block, to secure it in place, better.

Grossly contoured and pinning canvas micarta handles...

I accidentally drilled the center backspring pin hole, in the handles...essentially creating two "pile side" configurations. So, I had to create the 4th hole, on the handle. Sometimes, accidents work out...I think it gave it more symmetry in the pins. Just pay attention...if it's your project...I would have been torqued...if I'd had to start another handle...

I gave it to her dad , over dinner, after the wedding. I told him it was made, with a lot of thoughts and prayers, for the futures of our kids and our two families. I said it was kind of a "Texas meets Providence Knife".
Prior to my trip...I got a laugh, when I showed it to my assistant. She quipped..."It's kind of like your future Grandbabies"

[doglegg]

That turned out really knice DocB. I appreciate the pictures of the process and finished product which looks great. I bet it went well with the new family member as well.

[Meridian_Mike]

Great job!
Thanks for the great post.... (and great story!)

Mike

[orvet]

Great story Doc, but an even better mod of the old shell Barlow!

[glennbad]

That's a nice gesture, hope he appreciated it as much as we do here!

[tinkerer]

It's great to see a barlow brought back to nice condition. I like it.

[FRJ]

A great story and sentiment, and nice job on that rebuilt knife.