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Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:53 am
by orvet
In April, a gentleman at the OKCA show brought a Kabar #1128 to my table and asked me could fix it by putting new handles on it.
The rear handle was cracked at the pen and there was some shrinkage in the front handle especially around the sharpening stone.
Kabar #1128 before.jpg
He said I don't want the stone or any shield back on the knife, just plain bone handles but not white handles and not textured handles. I knew I had a set of ivory colored bone handles and he thought that would be fine.

I told him it would be the end of the summer before I was done with them and I was really rather surprised to find out that is not even mid August and I have it finished in spite of two surgeries. I was really pleased that! (My how easily we are amused when we get old!).

I believe this knife was made on contract by Camillus because it was constructed using the post method. A piece of yellow composition was extruded through a hole at either end of the liner and when it hardened and was cut flush with the inside of the liner it held the handle very tightly to the liner. I had to pry a it apart to get the handle off.
I thought I had more before pictures showing the post-construction but apparently I don't.
I thought this handle was Delrin, but given the shrinkage around the stone on the mark side I am not sure that this was indeed Delrin.

Here are some shots of the finished knife. Sorry I couldn't find the other before pictures.
Kabar 1128  fish knife a.jpg
Kabar 1128  fish knife c.jpg
Kabar 1128  fish knife d.jpg

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 1:13 am
by knives-are-quiet
Sweet....
Looks like that's the way it was made originally.
Practice does make perfect.
She's now made of all natural materials.

"this guys gonna' love it"

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 1:16 am
by Doc B
The shade and gloss on that bone makes it look very elegant! I bet he was very happy!

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:36 am
by doglegg
Sweet Dale. ::nod::

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 3:15 am
by philco
Nice work Dale. ::tu:: ::tu::

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 3:43 am
by orvet
Thanks guys, I appreciate the support. It was such a simple repair, not really complex, but sometimes those are the hardest ones to get to look right. Because they're is no shield, no sharpening stone, jigging or anything else to break up the lines any mistake you make can stand out like a sore thumb.
But when you get them right they really look good. This one was not without mistakes but hopefully they or not glaring.

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:48 am
by Meridian_Mike
WOW.... that bone sure is beautiful.... GREAT job Dale (as usual)...
Your work is top notch and I get a lot of inspiration from your work.

Mike
::tu::

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:29 pm
by herbva
Beautiful work Dale and I really love that ivory colored bone on this knife!

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:32 pm
by TripleF
Beautimous!!! ::tu:: ::tu::

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 1:58 pm
by glennbad
Nice one Dale! I find those fish knives can be tough to work with sometimes, as the blades and springs are so long, there is sometime not a lot of snap in them.

Love the bone!

Re: Handle Restoration for Kabar #1128

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 5:50 pm
by orvet
Thanks guys. ::tu::
glennbad wrote:Nice one Dale! I find those fish knives can be tough to work with sometimes, as the blades and springs are so long, there is sometime not a lot of snap in them.

Love the bone!
Thanks Glenn, you call the name of that tune also.
I don't think this knife had been used, if it had it wasn't more than a couple of times because it showed no sign of being used. Since it was a new knife I didn't examine it carefully to see how the blades sat in the pockets. When I started to put it back together the hook remover blade to hit the liner about half way between the bolsters! I hadn't noticed a bend in it before, but there it was big as life! Fortunately there's no need for the hook remover blade to be hardened so it was easy to straighten up.
When I finished it all up there wasn't much snap as you said. I blew it out with the air hose and then added Quick Release to the joints.
Now this fish knife has more snap than one would normally expect. That little tube is almost like a magic wand for snap, the more I use Quick Release the better I like it! ::nod::