All About Pocket Knives

Here is another old one I have been working on.
Joseph Fenton & Sons large plumbers knife circa early 1900’s
The knife had broken diamond jigged horn scales, wobbly blade and no snap.
It now has Norwegian stag scales no wobble and a tremendous snap.
Still needs final polishing.

Knives are quiet

If it's taken care of, it just might be around another 100 years now. Just curious.....what part of the restoration brought the snap back? Maybe too much wear on the hinge or center pin? At any rate, it's always good to see an old knife get a second life.

Nice work and love the Norwegian stag scales

Very nice. Great work.

Looking good.

Elvis wrote:If it's taken care of, it just might be around another 100 years now. Just curious.....what part of the restoration brought the snap back? Maybe too much wear on the hinge or center pin? At any rate, it's always good to see an old knife get a second life.

Hi Bob,
The pivot pin being worn will give your blade wobble mostly horizontally and sometimes vertically. A worn out center pin will give you play in the blade vertically and could give you a slightly weakened snap but that was not the case with this knife.
This knife was used a lot but poorly maintained in cleaning and oiling which wares the metal down at the "round end" of the blade and where it makes contact with the butt spring plus this knife is over 100 years old and metal becomes fatigued.
The solution is to bend the spring down where it makes contact with the blade at the back square on the blade. Some reshaping to the spring might have to be done to fit tightly in the back square and up against the run up on the folders blade. The more you bend the spring the harder snap you will get. If you incorporate a tremendous snap like I did on this knife I would suggest also incorporating a half stop for safety to the knife which involves bending the spring also. “note” (some springs will not bend and will have to be annealed heating and cooling slowly then after adjustments are made heat treated cooled quickly in oil to regain the strength or you can just repro a new one with the required adjustments).
If the pins where movement is (pivot & center) are worn you will have to use slightly larger pins. You will most likely have to work down a larger pin to fit.
I replaced both the pivot and center pins with stainless ones on this knife the others are nickel silver.
All the original pins were iron which wares and corrodes quite quickly.
Be aware that any adjustments even a slight one mentioned above will involve reshaping of the entire body of the knife when reassembled.
"Knives are quiet "
_________________
Jamie~

Thanks Jamie,

Different methods depending on the knife seems to be the standing rule as no two are ever the same. I've often used TIG welding on the divot on the backsprings as well as the worn tang areas and re-ground them to factory specs also to put new snap back in an old knife. TIG is over with so quick it doesn't have time to get to the cutting area of the blade fast enough to foul the tamper, but re-drilling for a pin size change has been used too. The guys here are great, but it's always nice to have another brain to pick. I won't be through learning until they're tamping sod over me, ya know?

Elvis wrote:Thanks Jamie,

Different methods depending on the knife seems to be the standing rule as no two are ever the same. I've often used TIG welding on the divot on the backsprings as well as the worn tang areas and re-ground them to factory specs also to put new snap back in an old knife. TIG is over with so quick it doesn't have time to get to the cutting area of the blade fast enough to foul the tamper, but re-drilling for a pin size change has been used too. The guys here are great, but it's always nice to have another brain to pick. I won't be through learning until they're tamping sod over me, ya know?

There is a way to get the snap back on these types of very old knives without taking the knife apart. The stop pin or spring anchor pin (the one closest to the back of the knife) doesn't go through the spring and you can tap a small metal wedge under the exposed pin which will give you your snap back without disassembling. You will of coarse have to shape the spring on the back side of the knife as it will now be sticking up on the back spine.
I have used this on historical and heirloom knives that you don't really want to get involved with taking apart. Just quick fix and quick clean.


I myself have never done any welding.
My brother used to do it for a living and I once had him TIG weld the same procedure you mentioned above. I need to get him over here one day and teach me some welding skills.

Oh yea, every knife is different. I have changed many blades from one knife to another from the same exact knife and there are always adjustment to be made.

"I'll be learning and doing this till the day I die also"
I want to be buried with my arms crossed over my chest holding two of my favorite knives, one in each hand.
jamie~

I agree Bob.
Learning is what makes this hobby so much fun.
If I thought I knew it all, or was even close to learning everything there is to know
about repairing knives, I would quit and find another hobby!

Wow Bob, i dont know where you get these knifes, but it seems like you are always finding ones i like. Thanks