Handle crack, improvement

[knive]

I got this continental for a good price. It was covered with rust and black stains. Without taking pictures I started pouring mineral oil on it, rubbing and buffing. Thats when I saw a long line running from the shield all... the... way... (it's a big knife, 5 in.) past the pin to the bolster. I'd like to be able to de-emphasize it by cleaning out whatever has gotten inside the crack, rust, dirt. I tried laying the knife flat and soaking it with oil, then after a few hours stand the knife on end in a can and let the oil run out taking (maybe) impurities out, a flush. I'm thinking you all have been in the same situation. Can I pick your brain? Is there an easier way? Thanks.

[muskrat man]

well there ain't much you can do with it. The only way to get those debris out would be to bust the handle all the way, scrape off any gunk and then glue it back together, though I would not reccomend it. It probably wouldn't look much better anyway, it looks like a pretty tight crack so i'd just leave it be. A crack is a crack and there is really no way to make one completely disappear. Thats a nice old knife too, you got it at a good price I should have bid higher hehe

[gino]

I agree with M-M leave it alone!
It will never look better after you try to fix it. If it bothers you really bad get it re-handled.
(just my opinion)

[knive]

Thanks M-M and gino for your time. I value your opinions. It does stand out like a sore thumb though. So far my rinse technique hasn't changed it. The weird thing is, I think the crack is under the scale, against the liner. I know the knife isn't worth the time, it's been in a damp environment I think and has seen better days.
I have a water-pic, thought about hydrofracing. Once I had a Case with very light color scales, blonde sort of, the areas near the rivits had darkened, I think because someone used too much oil and it leached into the space under the scale. I hit it with compressed air, that didn't help. Out of frustration I dropped the knife in a cup of windshield washer solvent, blew it out with more air, and repeated, many times. By the end of the day the dark areas had improved. Also, the brass was overall much brighter. I'm looking at that 63046 as I type, not perfect but 60 percent better than what it was. But I think in the case of the Continental you are both correct. Thanks. But I'm nuts.

[gino]

I get like that sometimes. Not to long ago I worked on a Schrade stockman I picked up that was covered in I dont know what but after a week of playin with it I stuck it in a box with a ton of others. We have to be nuts to be so into these things anyhow.