Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

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Myron
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Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Myron »

I recently got this fantastically rare Böker 182 with a broken off awl. There are a few things that make this knife rare. Most noticeably, the red fiber scales, but this one has some other features that are scarce, especially being a 1930's-40's specimen. Stainless steel implements (most were carbon steel) for one, and wavy aluminum liners for another. I've never seen another Böker 182 like it.

So the broken off awl was a bummer. Had it been carbon steel an otherwise-trashed donor knife would have been very easily sourced for around $25. But pre-war stainless 182's are scarce, so I had to pay through the nose for a stag-scaled donor. Normally of course, it would be a crime to sacrifice such a beautiful stag knife for parts, but this one was missing its bail, the main blade was about 15 mm short, and the cap lifter was broken off at the shank. Its awl, however, was perfect. And stainless!

I was going to send it to a real knife smith for professional repair, but his turnaround time is 3 months and the operation just didn't look that tricky to me. I've built a couple SAKs, but I'm far from an expert. Still, I decided to save the time and money and give it a try myself.

Here you can see the broken awl next to the donor awl.
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Here's the donor stag-scaled 182. Even broken these things are worth a lot of money.
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Using a pin drift, I carefully tapped the pin through the fiber knife. It looks like it's made of steel, which is a bummer because I only have brass pin stock to work with. Decision time -- Re-use the steel pin, which was a little too short anyway, give up and send the knife off to a pro, or substitute brass pin stock? I decided to replace the whole pin with the brass pin stock that I had. Here's the fiber 182 with the steel pin halfway removed and awl taken out.

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Test fitting revealed that the holes for the scales, liners, and implements were a just a hair misaligned and wonky. I thought long and hard before doing this, but finally decided to run a drill bit through the knife body and then the implements individually. My technique worked and further test fitting showed everything lined up.

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With the brass pin in place, I nipped off the ends using these micro nippers. Then all I had to do was peen them flush with the scales.

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The knife was now very snappy, and I was happy with my flush-peening and the color of the brass, but there was another problem. The tip of the awl sat proud of the profile of the knife in its closed position. Enough that it would catch your pocket or your finger. Closer inspection revealed the cause -- there was a knob at the base of the awl that rests on the spring and keeps the awl in just the right position when folded in. The same knob on the original awl was much less pronounced. I get the feeling that back when this knife was made the knob was probably custom finished to each individual knife. Anyway, a few passes over it with a file reduced its profile just so, and now the awl fits perfectly in its happy place when folded in.

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Myron
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Myron »

And speaking of things that are wonky, how about editing picture attachments on AAPK.

Ok, here's the completed knife next to the donor:

IMG_6480.JPG

And here's the tidy fit of the new awl when folded in.

IMG_6481.JPG
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Mumbleypeg
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Nice rescue! Too bad you couldn’t get some steel or nickel silver pin stock. If you ask here someone might have some to share. My old Böker 182 is carbon steel and has bone covers. It’s rough but it’s all there. The pattern is still in their catalog but new ones aren’t cheap either.

BTW if you need a professional to fix your knife without waiting weeks to get it done, Bill DeShivs is your man.

Ken
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jaydar
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by jaydar »

Excellent work ..... the steel on the awls seem so brittle but that fix should see it through the next 100 years :)

Looking at the new Victorinox replica they suggest the awl was used to create the hole in a can to start the process for the can opener, I wonder if that's why we have so many broken tips.
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Mumbleypeg
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Mumbleypeg »

I’ve always believed the broken tips come mostly from attempted use as a pry bar, tack puller, etc. That’s too tempting for the casual knife owner. Then it’s “aw crap” (or similar) when the tip breaks. Same with chips out of blade edges.

Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.

If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

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Myron
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Myron »

Hey thanks, guys! It was a really fun project and came together easily. I really appreciate the tip on a professional knife smith, @Mumbleypeg!

I have a couple others needing some work that are over my head tech-wise.

Myron
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Myron »

@jaydar, I now have a donor Böker with lovely stag scales and a good corkscrew, but crap everything else. I am in need of a vintage 182 with a great toolset but cracked/missing stag scales!

Haha, thanks again for the help John!

Myron
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Madmarco
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Madmarco »

Beautiful save Myron! ::tu:: You really brought that dead old soldier back to life! ::nod:: Also, kudos on the picture editing, so many times I've wanted to view the "before n' after" shots together and now you've achieved the process! Congratulations and thank you! ::handshake:: 8)
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Reverand »

Great save!
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Everything else is just a hobby.

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herbva
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by herbva »

Great save Myron! There's nothing like a successful DIY repair. ::tu:: ::tu:: FYI, whenever I reassemble a knife with steel or cast iron bolsters I use steel nails for pinstock. Between the various sizes of common and finishing nails, I've got most sizes covered. I've even used them in a pinch when I didn't have the right size for NS bolsters and I didn't care about the color not matching. And another thing - that "knob" you mentioned at the base of the punch is called the "kick", and you did exactly the right thing by filing the kick down until the punch closed to the position you wanted it to sit in the frame. Most blades have a "kick", and that's what they are there for.
"Better to do something imperfectly, than to do nothing flawlessly." ~ Robert H. Schuller

Herb
Myron
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Myron »

Thanks fellas! Using a nail never occurred to me, but that's a great idea. And of course the little knob is the "kick." I even recognize the name now but didn't recall it yesterday. :)

Now I have to work up the nerve to take my two parts 182's completely apart and try to make one good one. Those stag scales are too nice to sit in a parts drawer!

Thanks again, all.

Myron
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by jaydar »

Myron wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 2:12 am @jaydar, I now have a donor Böker with lovely stag scales and a good corkscrew, but crap everything else. I am in need of a vintage 182 with a great toolset but cracked/missing stag scales!

Haha, thanks again for the help John!

Myron

Give me a day or two I will see what I can find :)
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glennbad
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by glennbad »

Great work!
Myron
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Re: Fixed! Über-Rare Böker 182 w/ Fiber Scales

Post by Myron »

Thank you, Glennbad and Jaydar!
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