Where to Buy Pin-Stock for Knife Repairs

[orvet]

There have been questions on a couple threads about where to buy pin-stock for knife repairs. Here are my thoughts on the subject of pin-stock and where I get them.

I like to have as many different sizes of pin stock on hand as I can find.
Many older knives are made with pins that are not standard proportions with the sizes readily available in the local hardware store or through a knife supply house.
Some old knives have damaged pin holes and may need a larger pin size.
Some knives I repair are made in Europe where they use the metric system.
It only stands to reason that a well-stocked repair shop will have metric pins as well as the standard English measurements.


NICKEL SILVER PIN-STOCK
The following nickel silver pin stocks are available from Jantz Supply:

1. .0625” = 1/16”
2. .070” = 1.8mm
3. .078” = 2 mm
4. .0935” = 3/32”
5. .098” = 2.5 mm
6. .118” = 3 mm
7. .125” = 1/8”

Jantz carries the 4 metric sizes that I use a lot, probably more than the standard sizes.
It is a big jump from 1/16” to 1/32”. Consequently I use a lot of 1.8 mm & 2 mm nickel silver pins. Of the knife maker supply houses that I use, USA Knifemaker’s Supply, Texas Knifemaker’s Supply, Knife & Gun (K&G) and Jantz Supply, Jantz is the only one that carries nickel silver in the metric sizes. As a result, I buy most all of my nickel silver from Jantz Supply.


BRASS PIN-STOCK
The assortment of brass pin stock Jantz has is a bit more limited.
They carry 1/16”, 3/32” & 1/8”.

I also get an assorted package at Ace Hardware that contains the following 3 sizes:
.072”
. 081”
.114”

This is the label on the pack of 3 assorted sizes of brass rods (pin-stock). You can use this label to order this pack from your local Ace Hardware store.
I think True Value Hardware also gets brass rods from K&S Engineering.

I use a lot of the .072” & .081” size pins.
Recently I have found some 2 mm & 2.5 mm on ebay from the UK. Apparently those sizes are used in the UK in some RR modeling. The shipping makes them about twice the price of similar sizes available in the US, but I really don’t like to turn down a piece of pin-stock if I can avoid it.


STAINLESS STEEL PIN-STOCK
Jantz carries 1/16”, 3/32” & 1/8” stainless steel pin-stock. You may be able to find other sizes at local hardware stores. Since I mostly work on old knives, I seldom use stainless steel.

I do have some pin-stock larger than 1/8” but I don’t think I have ever used them in a knife.
But it is seldom that I even use 1/8” pins, except for large lockbacks like Buck 110 or Schrade LB7.

If you have other sources for pin-stock and in other sizes, please share them!
I am always looking for new sizes of pins, especially between .065” and .090” in brass and nickel silver.
If you have a source, please share them!

I hope this info helps,
Dale

[paulsvintage]

thanks, for the fast reply and all your help

[jerryd6818]

Just suppliers of pins plus other knife making supplies. Suppliers of handle materials is a whole other list.

USA Knifemaker’s Supply - http://www.usaknifemaker.com/

Texas Knifemaker’s Supply - http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php

Knife & Gun (K&G) - http://www.knifeandgun.com/

Jantz Supply - http://kyagl.phnqv.servertrust.com/default.asp

Knife Kits.com - http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php ... thp2cfhqq0

Alpha Knife Supply - http://alphaknifesupply.com/

[paulsvintage]

Jerry , thanks

[gruntmedik]

Wow, you must have ESPN, as I was planning on asking this question this evening.

Thanks for the info.

[muskrat man]

McMaster Carr carries a good variety of brass pin stock from 3/32" to 6" diameter
http://www.mcmaster.com/#brass-alloy-rods/=c4rxvr
I mostly use 1/16", 3/32" and 1/8" if something is too big I turn it down to the correct size. I do get the metric nickel pins from jantz though they are very handy to have on hand. For old steel bolstered folders I use carbon steel welding rod so it matches the bolster color when polished

[just bob]

When you get this rod do you precut it to a certain standard lengths? How critical is it to saw the ends flush when you make cuts? I have just been using nippers on the few I have tried and I see where others say to square cut with a Dremel tool or something. I don't see the big deal.

[orvet]

I leave it full length and cut it to the length I need as I need it.

If I am spinning a bunch of scale pins, I cut it to 3/4" & flatten one end and spin the head on it.
I usually grind a point on the other end, just to make it easier to put in the hole in the scale.
Most scales are not nearly thick enough to need a 3/4" pin, it is just that smaller than 3/4" and it is hard to clamp the pin stock in the vise & spin the head on the pin.

But aside from the scale pins I pre-make, I leave the pin stock in full length.

[orvet]

Changed to sticky.

[Miller Bro's]

Many older knives are made with pins that are not standard proportions with the sizes readily available in the local hardware store or through a knife supply house.

Ever wonder how the old knife companies made all the different size wire they used on pocket knives?

Knife companies bought nickle, brass and steel wire, one size, not all the different sizes they needed for their knives, it did not come in straight lengths like you buy from these modern supply houses either, it came in large rolls.

They used a Wortle plate to size the wire to whatever particular size they wanted.

A Wortle plate is made of steel and it has tapered holes of various sizes through which the larger wire was fed, it was then pulled through the tapered hole and it came out the other side the proper diameter.

Needless to say these plates are very rare and quite honestly if I had one to put in front of a modern knife maker they would have no idea what the hell it was used for.

Just one of the many facts I have uncovered in my ongoing search for the knowledge the early cutlers used to make pocket knives

[whitebuffalo58]

That's cool stuff there, Dimitri!!
I use a similar plate to resize wooden dowel stock for the occasional custom furniture piece. It'd be a whole lot tougher feeding a piece of metal rod through one though! Even if it was brass or nickel silver.
I buy oversize stock, cut my pins to length then chuck them up in a drill and spin them down on the belt sander.(320 grit) I leave 'em in the drill and spin 'em up on a polishing wheel to finish them off. You can pretty much custom fit any size pin that's needed that way.

WB

[Bill DeShivs]

Jewelers use "draw plates" to pull wire to proper diameter. They might be OK to use if you needed a lot of one particular size, but is a restoration/repair setting it's easier to file pins to size if you don't have the proper diameter. Wire coat hangers are a great source of mild steel pin stock in various sizes. I also use nails and brads. I buy my brass pin stock from McMaster, and nickel silver wherever I can find the sizes I need.
Knifemakers' supply houses only carry a few sizes for makers, as they can make the holes fit their pin stock.

[tony111]

heres a good place to buy its pretty cheap to

http://www.hobbylinc.com/

[Brettnz]

I get my brass rod from local model shop here in New Zealand, they use it for axles in cars etc, I run a jewellers workshop and wouldn't worry about using a draw plate for brass

[Bargle]

Many hobby and craft shops carry K&S brand tubing and solid rods. Also sheet brass and copper in small amounts. I've found the K&S stuff at Hobbytown USA and Hobby Lobby.

[mike miller]

Truegrit has carried some of the stainless stock cheaper than any other place I have found.

[Mammothstag]

Stick with Jantz supply for your brass pin stock. Theirs is true to size but more importantly the brass they stock is softer than hardware store brass, so it's easier to peen the heads and doesn't crack.

[orvet]

I have had just as much problem with the brass and nickel silver I get from Jantz as I have from any other source.
I've gotten in the habit of measuring a length of rod before I cut pins from it, that way I know how many thousands +/- it is off.
I will even measure precut pins that I have gotten from various sources such the Schrade or Camillus factories.
It literally takes seconds to measure the diameter of a pin, and I have found it to be time well spent.
I can measure hundreds, maybe thousands of pins in the time it takes me to replace a broken handle.

[orvet]

I found another place to buy a brass pin stock and brass tubing. Last weekend we had a Hobby Lobby open up in our town. My wife and I went down there and I was very impressed with the assortment of adhesives they had. It was without a doubt the best assortment of adhesives I have seen under one roof. They even carried the Bob Smith Industries 5 Minute Epoxy, which is the best epoxy I have found. I’ve been using it almost exclusively for about 8 years and I haven’t had a handle failure that I can recall since I started using it.

They also have a good selection of K & S Metals brass pin stock in the smaller sizes. I was also surprised to find small brass tubing. They had 3/64” and 1/16” brass tubing. This is useful when replacing some of the clevis or bail on some of the older scout type knives that used a brass tube to hold the clevis on and then a small nickel silver pin that went through the tube and had a head spun on the end of the nickel silver pin.

I have no connection with, or stock in Hobby Lobby.
I just found they had a great selection of things that can be difficult to find when doing knife repairs.
If you’re having difficulty finding brass pins and brass tubing and have a Hobby Lobby near you, you might check it out.

Sadly however, I did not find any nickel silver pin stock at all.

[OLDE CUTLER]

My local Hobby Lobby also had .025" thick brass 1 1/2" wide in case you need to make a replacement liner or center divider. No nickel silver at my local either. I will have to try their epoxy, have been using Loctite 5 minute with mixed results. I have no connection with or stock in Hobby Lobby either.

[Jeffinn]

Grainger.com has some of the standard sizes in 3 foot lengths. I have a Grainger facility a few miles from my home so I can order it one day, have it the next and avoid the shipping charges. I just picked up a few packs today.

[orvet]

We have a local Ace Hardware that stocks 3 foot lengths of brass also. That is the cheapest I have found.

[glennbad]

We have a local Ace Hardware that stocks 3 foot lengths of brass also. That is the cheapest I have found.

Do you know what the nickel silver you have been using for pin stock is, dead soft or half hard?

[Maddogfl]

For steel pins, buy cheap drill bits and cut them to length. I learned that trick playing with guns.

[C-WADE7]

I buy brass rod from my local welding supply shop. They also has some stainless rods, all are brazing or rig welding rods.