Outgassing Celluloid

[nifenut]

I have had a Bulldog for many years discovered the celluloid handles are outgassing. Is anyone award of a way to stabilize the process or should I plan to have it re-handled.

I do keep it away from my other knives.

[philco]

Once it starts there's no stopping it as far as I know. My advice would be to remove the handles ASAP.

[nifenut]

Thanks Philco.
Jim

[djknife13]

Is the knife decomposing or just tarnishing the bolsters. I have a H.Sears and Son doctors knife the tarnished the bolsters slighly, and I cleaned it with Wenol and keep it on an open shelf, and it been perfect now for 2 or 3 years. I've had several re-po Winchesters go much faster and had them re-handled. If it's decomposing or even cracking, get it off quickly.

[nifenut]

I am beginning to think my problem may not be outgassing. Rubbing with sandpaper (fine) does not yield a mothball smell. The handle does not appear to be shrinking. I have had it since 1986-7.

I am not sure what the handle design is named. Looks internally like bits and pieces of "shell" with pearl like pieces, some bluish, others reddish brown and blue. The problem is some areas of the design look like they have "dissolved" and become cloudy beige. The "pieces" in these areas are transparent or even gone.
No splits, cracks, or changes in the surface.

Weird.

The knife has been stored in knife paper or cloth in a cool dry place for all these years.
Any ideas of what could have caused this?
Jim

P.S. No corrosion on bolster. A few specks on the brass liner edges. Polished away easily.

[Miller Bro's]

Going to need pictures to tell what is going on here

[knife7knut]

The evil thing about celluloid is that it will start outgassing on the bottom surface of the scales next to the liners and look perfect on the upper surface.If the nickel silver bolsters start to turn a cludy brownish color near where they contact the scales and there is rust forming on just the exposed surface of the blades they are outgassing.Sometimes with a little cleaning(I use Mother's Mag Wheel Polish)they will stabilize for a period of time.I have a feeling that petroleum products;specifically lubricating oil for the pivots plays a part in the onset of degradation.I NEVER oil cel handled knives.

[nifenut]

Knife7knut,
I think you just described what I am seeing. MillerBros., I will try to get a picture up for y'all to see.
Thanks for all the help.
nifenut (Jim)

[nifenut]

I know this is a crummy picture. It's the best I can do at this time.
Notice the line I have drawn. Handle colors to the left are original. The washed out brown to the right is what I believe is the result of outgassing.
Please tell me what you think.
Thanks again,
nifenut

[olderdogs1]

Ok, I am going to post an opinion here that I don't believe will garner a lot of support. The handle in the picture looks like Bulldog Purple Swirl. I have had literally hundreds of these knives with this handle material and never had a problem. If you will look next to the bolster you see no shrinkage. I believe the discoloration may be caused by rust under the handle unrelated to gassing.
Just my opinion of course based on my experience with this handle material if that is indeed what it is.

Tom

[tjmurphy]

Are the liners iron/steel or brass? What do the blades look like? Any discoloration/rusting/pitting?

[PigSticker]

Well I don't get it bunch of knife alcoholic's will go out spend a pocket full a $$ on knives and be to cheap to get one re-handled--you're gonna buy more knives next week just ship it out and get new scales put on it----

[knife7knut]

Ok, I am going to post an opinion here that I don't believe will garner a lot of support. The handle in the picture looks like Bulldog Purple Swirl. I have had literally hundreds of these knives with this handle material and never had a problem. If you will look next to the bolster you see no shrinkage. I believe the discoloration may be caused by rust under the handle unrelated to gassing.
Just my opinion of course based on my experience with this handle material if that is indeed what it is.

Tom

Tom: You may be correct but let me show you what happened with one of my letter opener knives.This example looked fine on the surface except for the one crack across it.The part next to the end where I ground it down to remove the letter opener blade for another project.
It had been rusting the blade a bit but it cleaned up fairly easy.When I removed the handle the brass liner showed quite a bit of corrosion on it and eventually would have rusted through.I have a couple that actually happened to.Possibly on the OP knife the discoloration is showing through because the scales are more transparent than the one I posted.Just my opinion.

[nifenut]

I decided to remove the handle and see what was going on. The liners are brass and there was no damage to the undersides of the handles. Some very thin black coating partially covering the liners. Not like a rust. Maybe a thin glue. Did not buff off. Smooth, not rough. Seems like all the changes to the handles is internal.
There was some very slight pitting beginning on one bolster and a few specks on one side of the master blade. All buffed off nicely.

Here comes the cheap part: I tried to make handles from some stag I have. Looked like an amateur. Pulled them off. Lacquered the underside of the old handles and put them back on.

Anyone care to volunteer the name of a re-handler and hazard a guess at cost? Would like stag but would consider a nice wood.

Thanks to all again,
nifenut

[knife-nut]

muskrat man, Elvis, orvet and whitebuffalo58 all do great work.

[nifenut]

Thank you knife-nut

[buck16]

I have a question for anyone. Has anyone EDC'd a cell knife for say 6 months or longer that has started outgassing while it is carried and used? Primarily wondering about knives made prior to the `80s.