All About Pocket Knives

Here's what happens when you don't constantly maintain celluloid. This knife had been on my web site for a while and hadn't sold. I was moving the inventory around the other day and noticed a Classic box in a sealed ziplock bag. I opened it up and was not a happy camper . It is a Prototype too, so I'm down a couple of hundred. Anyway, it's about to be shipped off to the Muskrat Man to be cleaned up and customized.

perry: "Here's what happens when you don't constantly maintain celluloid."

what maintenence can you do to stop the inevitable with some cels? are'nt they all ticking? i know some colors seem uneffected or at least not as prone to schrinkage and deteriorization. i quit cels after ignorantly losing several knives at once. they were stored in a dry and cool place. in one month five including the gasser were mostly ruined.

i culled the rest and re-handled.

While I don't collect any celluloid, I do pick them up in collections and usually try to sell them fast. I have far too many knives to be able to maintain them. Here's some of the things I do, or should do, and I'm sure there's more.

1. Keep them in an open, but dry, area. Don't store them anywhere they can't breath, like in a glass covered display case.

2. Lightly oil and then wipe dry at least once a month.

3. Don't store them with any other knives, that includes other celluloids.

4. I try to store them with the blades open. I'd rather have a weak spring than have it rust up.


I'm sure we'll get some more good suggestions in the thread. I have a full set of Case Select knives in a frame, glass covered, on the wall in my office. There are 6 celluloids in the set and when I looked at them today, they're already starting to turn. The set is from 2001 and I had them framed in 2002.

thanks perry, we have cussed, i mean discussed gassing before, but i always want others tips and info.

Perry I can feel your pain, I recently lost a couple of extremely low number Schatt & Morgan knives. It hurts the eyes and really hurts the wallet...

Take care and show us the finished work once Muskrat Man is finished on the rehab..

Sunburst

Celluloid handles should be kept from exposure to sunlight and petroleum based oils. These seem to be the biggest cause of decomp. Light colors seem to fare the worst,shrinking and cracking easily, while darker handles and those with lots of texture don't seem as affected. This may be due to the fact that the plain light colors don't have a lot of binder material. Being sealed up is bad also, as an outgassing handle can be self-destructive if its contained in a confined space. I can't believe that anyone still handles knives with this stuff, its destructive, its unstable, its very dangerous to make and there are much better alternatives available. I guess that Jim Parker gave no consideration to this during the Case Classic production era.

It should clean up nice Perry, I look forward to getting it.

Arathol, you wouldn't happen to be the same arathol that collects airguns would you?

Arathol, you wouldn't happen to be the same arathol that collects airguns would you?

Yep. One and the same.

I thought you might be, remember CAGS?

Dang Cags, is that you? Didn't I get a Webley from you a while back?

yessir, it's me. Yep, got an excocet off me about a year or two ago I think. Been in and out of the air since my last post to the CF, picked up a 105 and a 1377 as of late.

Sorry Perry, didn't mean to hijack your thread

Well this is not good news. I too fell for your knifekid.

I did not know that Case YELLOW knives were Celloiloid.
Or am I jumping the gun here.

Here is one set I have but I think they are not cells.
Please tell me what they are.

3207,3220,3254,31048,3137,32087,3254,3318.

Don't panic Ken,

Those are all Delrin...they will be fine.

Bill

Just for discussion,

Here is a Queen Candy Stripe Celluloid. I've highlighted what look to be "fractures" in the celluloid. It has gassed the exposed part of the blades and the backsprings (at the arrows).
Just as information.

It is unfortunate, bescause it still is a fine looking knife.

Bill

Those are all Delrin.... That what I thought they were but they look a lot like Knifekid's Case...

Thanks El Lobo for the fast feedback.

I think All of this info should be in the Celluloid Handle forum. That way one can find it later and look it up faster. A lot of good stuff in it and this would help I feel. Any Admin agree to move this ??