All About Pocket Knives

Hello All,
I need a replacement bale for my Case 6445 R Utility knife.
Do any of the suppliers that sell knife parts and steel sell a replacement bale?

I think this is the original pin for the bale still in the knife.
Any ideas?

Thanks,

Mike

Probably the same bail from different makes will work on your knife. Ebay has some for other brands that might work . Mainly depends on width of knife.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAMILLUS-KNIFE- ... Swqu9U523U

Glen was offering to make one some time back. Look on ebay, flea market, auction for a junk knife with a good bail.

Thanks Bob.

Mike

just bob wrote:Probably the same bail from different makes will work on your knife. Ebay has some for other brands that might work . Mainly depends on width of knife.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAMILLUS-KNIFE- ... Swqu9U523U

Glen was offering to make one some time back. Look on ebay, flea market, auction for a junk knife with a good bail.

Bob,
I bought some of those on eBay and when I got them in hand I discovered they are for the single blade rope knife that Camillus made.
They are not wide enough or deep enough for a Scout knife.



Mike,
there were basically only two types of those clevis, the ones with the bent ends that go into holes in the bolsters, and those that are attached by pins. Yours appears to be one that was attached by pins.
This is where it gets a little bit tricky: there were two different methods used, and since you probably didn't take the original bail off, a we don't know which method was used.

The simplest and most common method used was that the clevis was attached by a single pin with a head spun down on either end.
The more complicated method that I have seen used on older knives like Cattaraugus and pre-World War II Ulster knives uses a brass tube with a nickel silver pin on the inside. The brass tube acts as a spacer for washer to keep you from tightening the pin to tight and pinching the tangs between the bolsters. It's quite an ingenious system but it is difficult to find the small tubing and even smaller nickel silver pin to put this together.

I don't know a great deal about Case knives but if your knife is circa 1970 or newer it probably uses the single nickel silver pin.

No matter which method of attachment is used the clevis is the same. If you find a clevis for a full-sized through pin Scout knife it will probably work. The ones with the ends of the clevis bent in were used mainly on shell handle knives.

Hope this helps,
Dale

Yes... thanks so much Dale.

From a close examination of the pin that is still in the knife, it looks like there could be a tube of sorts thru the bolster and then there is a pin thru the tube. The pin is still in there and the previous owner thought someone had put a small nail in to take the place of the pin that goes thru the blades. The pin is small and loose. The blades have great snap and do not wobble at all. SO... it sure looks like the original pin for the clevis is still there.
I could probably take a piece of clothes hanger and make one but I just thought there might be some replacements out there because so many seem to be missing on this type of knife.

This is what the clevis looks like up close:
I borrowed this pic from the images on google. The clevis has nice rounded contact points that are connected by a pin.

This knife seems to be the same vintage as mine. These knives have a short blade with a thumb post.
According to the tang stamp, this one was made 1940 - 1964.

Mike

That is a pretty clevis on that knife, and they are a little bit different than the ones Camillus used, , although a Camillus clevis would work just fine.
What I would do is set up a daily automatic search on eBay so I get notified every time there is a Case Scout knife posted.
I would be going through the daily listings and see if I couldn't find a cheap old parts knife with a good clevis.

Unfortunately the clevis is often the first thing to go on an old Scout knife.

You might contact Case and see if they have a clevis they would send you/sell you. I would think they would have some repair parts for them laying around. Of course I realize they're not like Camillus, Camillus had parts for knives that had been discontinued 50 years ago when they close down. It doesn't seem Case is quite that customer oriented.

Yep, you are right Dale.... I need to find a donor knife.

I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled.

Thanks,

Mike

I'd call Case repair and ask if they could repair it for you, and if so what would it cost. If you feel the cost is too much, then ask if they have the parts available for you to do it yourself, or have someone do it. All it costs to find out is the time to make a phone call.

Ken

all the bails I have are steel and use a large pin.

If anyone needs the small brass tube for repairing older scout and utility knives pm me, I sell it. Normally 1/16" nickel pinstock will suffice for the bail pin.

Good idea Ken... I think I will give them a call.

Thanks for checking your parts Muskrat Man....

Mike

I hear 20 gauge copper wire will work as well, and it would look great in my opinion.

Not sure this is what you're looking for, but I do have some brand new blades for that knife as well as a bail for it. Let me know if I can help.

Elvis wrote:Not sure this is what you're looking for, but I do have some brand new blades for that knife as well as a bail for it. Let me know if I can help.

Yes sir.... I would definitely appreciate the help with a new bale. I have the knife all cleaned up now so all I am missing would be the bale.
Thanks so much for the offer.
I sent you a PM.

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=51160


Mike