All About Pocket Knives

Found this little Case fixed blade at a junk store today for $3. Leather handle was rotted off and wrapped in tape. I’m curious how to remove the pommel so I can cut new leather, I don’t see a pin and can’t see how they would have hot poured it on. Any info is appreciated. I’m also curious the approximate age the fixed blade stamps don’t appear to match the folding knife stamps and I haven’t seen a good fixed blade chart.

I have an M5Finn with a stag handle and also can see no obvious attachment method for the pommel. Gotta be a pin though, no nut, no poured lead slug. Your knife is from before 1965 based on info from a Sargents article by Bradley Wood. Your knife is an M3Finn. Someone more knowledgeable than me will narrow that build era down for you. You didn't overpay for that for sure.

Thanks for the reply. I just polished it up and can not see any sign of a pin, no poured slug either. I figure it must pressed on to a barb of some sort, I can’t imagine any way that it could have been poured on hot and not burned the stack of leather. Hopefully somebody has had one apart.

Try holding it over steam and see if the pin becomes visible. Sound’s weird but sometimes the condensation looks different on the pin.

eveled wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 7:56 am Try holding it over steam and see if the pin becomes visible. Sound’s weird but sometimes the condensation looks different on the pin.

I will give it a try. I tried looking unread 15x magnification with no luck. Thanks.

I don't have the answer for helping remove that pommel, just a suggestion that you might rehandle it in bone or stag, which can be done without removing the pommel.
It is just a thought.

Those pins can be driven out. Look and search more in the knife repair / restoration forum for information. I don't think this is what you're looking for but is true on some Case knives.

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=67956&p=844849&hil ... el#p844849

Reverand wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 4:13 pm I don't have the answer for helping remove that pommel, just a suggestion that you might rehandle it in bone or stag, which can be done without removing the pommel.
It is just a thought.

That was our other idea other than the spacers are rotted , which I can remove but wouldn’t mind a red or colored spacer between the buckle spacers.

just bob wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 4:44 pm Those pins can be driven out. Look and search more in the knife repair / restoration forum for information. I don't think this is what you're looking for but is true on some Case knives.

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=67956&p=844849&hil ... el#p844849

I read that but can’t see how they could pour one keeping the stack compressed and not burning it, I don’t see any way that works.

Well I tried the steam trick and I almost think I see a dotted outlying around the edge of a pin, I sanded it with 1000 grit and checked again but ant be sure. I heated it with a small pen torch and got it to rock some but no visible pin still. Any others have an idea?

I heated it with a little pen flame, and I was able to get it to rock a little bit, but there is still no visible pin.