All About Pocket Knives

Well, I wasn't going to start doing anything for other folks until I got retired..... I told this guy when he handed me the knife that it might be "a while" before I could get to it. He was happy so all was good.

This 94OT trapper had the "wobbly blade swinden disease"....
It was filthy. He told me he had cleaned several deer with this knife. It showed it too.
Here is the before picture I took.....


Here she is after a good clean-up, oil and that new pivot pin to tighten up the blades .....


I hesitated to really shine up the blades because I didn't want to make his knife look new...... just repaired and cleaned up. That was pretty much all he wanted.
This was my first "payin' job" knife work I did for somebody else. I have to say, it made me nervous at first but then, I just figured I needed to get comfortable with it if I plan to do knife work when I retire (next year if the Lord is willing).

What y'all think.... is it acceptable?

Thanks for looking everyone!

That turned out great Mike!
I usually rely on the customer to tell me if they want the blades cleaned up or not. You did a great job on those blades without overdoing it!
Jeff

Thanks for the reassurance Jeff!

I always worry a bit if it is someone else's knife.... I can trash my own and no big deal..... But if it aint mine.....

Excellent job Mike...

Excellent job Mike. I enjoy cleaning up a used knife. I am not
doing it for anyone else but only for the relaxing time I get to
spend in the hobby. When you retire you may too!

Bob

rea1eye wrote: ↑Mon Oct 25, 2021 2:27 pm Excellent job Mike. I enjoy cleaning up a used knife. I am not
doing it for anyone else but only for the relaxing time I get to
spend in the hobby. When you retire you may too!

Bob

YES.... I am looking forward to a little bit of relaxing.
I (like you) find that time spent working on knives is a relaxing way to get my mind off things.


Thanks so much for all the positive comments everyone!

Meridian_Mike wrote: ↑Mon Oct 25, 2021 2:48 pm

rea1eye wrote: ↑Mon Oct 25, 2021 2:27 pm Excellent job Mike. I enjoy cleaning up a used knife. I am not
doing it for anyone else but only for the relaxing time I get to
spend in the hobby. When you retire you may too!

Bob

YES.... I am looking forward to a little bit of relaxing.
I (like you) find that time spent working on knives is a relaxing way to get my mind off things.


Thanks so much for all the positive comments everyone!

Nice work Mike! I assume that you drilled out the swinden key and put in a conventional pivot pin. P.S.- I get nervous every time I take on work from other people who I don't know, which is why I don't do it very often.

herbva wrote: ↑Mon Oct 25, 2021 4:10 pm
Nice work Mike! I assume that you drilled out the swinden key and put in a conventional pivot pin. P.S.- I get nervous every time I take on work from other people who I don't know, which is why I don't do it very often.

Thanks Herb!

Yes, I drilled the bolsters and put in a nickel silver pivot pin in place of the swinden system. The swinden keys had stretched (I guess) and made it so the blades had a lot of sideways play. The new pivot pin fixed that.
I left the swinden keys at the opposite end bolsters. That end went back together nicely.
I had to put in a new rocker pin also.

Not such a bad job after all.... All I used to clean it up with was one of those scotch brite pads. The pad was about worn out but it did take the goo and tarnish off pretty well.

Great job, Mike! To refer the Wizard of Oz: "If I only had a brain." Anyway....

tongueriver wrote: ↑Mon Oct 25, 2021 6:03 pm Great job, Mike! To refer the Wizard of Oz: "If I only had a brain." Anyway....

Yep.....

Looks great, you are now in business.

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Mon Oct 25, 2021 7:34 pm Looks great, you are now in business.

LOL....

Yep, I recon so....

Looks great, nice work!

Well done! I envy your skills

Looks great, Mike.

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

The owner came and picked up his knife yesterday afternoon and he was happy.... That is what matters most!

Very nice work Mike!
The Swindon rivet is rarely damaged when the blades are hinged in the front bolster.
Due to the slope of the rear bolsters on the 94OT
and the 194OT, I find it usually quicker and provides a better connection to keep the rear Swindon pin than trying to replace it with a through pin. Sometimes when pinning the through pin on those slopped rear bolsters, I have hit the pin too hard , or at a slight angle and have spread the bolster a little bit.
This can result in a poor fit. If the old one is working and you don't have to cut the rivet, I think the knife is better with one through pain and one Swindon.

Nice job and good intuition!

That does look great!
I did a very similar knife (can't recall the model #, but it was an Uncle Henry trapper). It was for a guy at church. Like you, I found myself a lot more nervous And hesitant when working on someone else's knife!
As good as you did, don't be surprised if him or one of his friends don't approach you with more work soon!

Thanks for the good words Dale!
Working on knives is a constant learning experience. I really appreciate your words of reinforcement for my methods.

LOL....
You might be right Reverand.
I recon I had better watch out now.....huh?....LOL.
"Here they come boys! Don't shoot 'till you see the whites of their eyes!"