Frary A1 Warranted Resto Challenges
Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 4:18 pm
Scott, a.k.a. "TripleF" sent me this big boy a while back for a very reasonable price, and I have been working on it off and on since it came in. According to Goins, "Frary A1 Warranted" was founded by James D, Frary in 1876 when he resigned from L.F.&C., and it went out of business in 1884. A previous owner of this knife put what looks like some handmade bolsters, held on with nails, on it (first pic). Other challenges were the part of the pen blade above the nail nick was broken off (third pic), and the original ebony scales were more than showing their age (second pic). I made some new bolsters, and welded steel back on to replace the piece missing from the pen (you can see my not-so-handy welding work in the last 3 pics) and outfitted it with new Gabon ebony scales. I'll have to learn a better way to make nail nicks, but the amateurish one I cut in the new part of the pen works well enough for now. I've seen other blades with the part above the nail nick broken off before, and I have to wonder if this may be caused by someone using a pliers to try to open a stuck blade? 
