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How To Rebuild a Knife


DSchlagan
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Gosh-darn-it Don,

 

Have machine shop, will travle. I have a feeling you're going to put a lot of theater knives to shame!!

What talent! :thumbsup:

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Thanks much, Bill.

 

One of the nicest aspects, for me, is being certain to keep up the photo journal.

About 95% of the things that I have made, over the years, are simply a recollection.

 

I'll update as relevant.

 

Regards,

Don.

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Thanks much, Ron.

Had some other shop work to bang out today.

Will update photos ASAP.

Regards,

Don.

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Here's progress:

 

post-21709-1303513818.jpg

 

Backstrap @thumb choil, will drop-in tight to tang after being fitted to top edge of ricasso.

 

post-21709-1303513917.jpg

 

post-21709-1303513996.jpg

 

post-21709-1303514258.jpg

 

 

Most of the brass is now roughed out in various stages; a lot of profiling, fitting, and fine-tuning remains.

I should have the stock, for the grip panels, available to me tomorrow; allowing several aspects to come together in profile.

 

Don.

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I can't slobber over each step......so please allow me to do so in private, and I'll comment when I can't hold it any longer!! :jeal0001: :lol:

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Don- You've turned this into a most interesting thread. Great project! Thanks for keeping us informed through each phase. SKIP

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11thcavsniper

This is real interesting seeing this Knife progress from day to day. I can hardly wait to see the finished product. It's going to be Great. L.T.

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Excellent use of an old Q blade...I've always felt that a usable knife has more value than a bare blade, no matter the source. To me, one could say "this knife used to be like this" and leave it as a bare blade, or say "this knife used to be like this, but now it's this" and have an item of function. No matter what, the blade is still in existence and hasn't been relegated to scrap. Great project...keep up the good work!

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elbertson,

I very much agree with what you expressed.

 

Thanks to both you and gunbarrel for the further encouragement!

 

Don.

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  • 2 weeks later...
DSchlagan

Well, I was able to get over to my friends place this weekend, and picked up the grip stock.

One of his springtime hobbies is finding NA whitetail antler shedds.

Yeah, he's got a few of them, and they are quite difficult to find.

[several years collecting, in this photo; the ones not in either box are some he found this year.

Those two splayed out in the center (floor) are a pair.]

 

post-21709-1304308489.jpg

 

 

They are very dear, really, pun actually unintended.

As such, I spend a lot of time looking at/handling them before I even think about the first cut.

 

The pair on the left are very highly naturally detailed; especially for a four-point rack.

My friend has several mated pairs in his collection, which is really something of note. It's not like they usually fall off within a foot of each other!

 

post-21709-1304309162.jpg

 

 

He gave me seven beams.

Here's the one that I chose for this knife:

 

post-21709-1304309364.jpg

 

 

You can readily notice where the mice, and such critters, have been gnawing at it (usually a late winter/springtime feast).

Every one of the tips, including the brow-tine, were directly "back-to-nature".

No matter, they thankfully left the 'good-stuff' for the grips.

 

post-21709-1304309453.jpg

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DSchlagan

Here is what the knuckle/sub-hilt assembly looked like earlier in the week.

That 3/16" brass dowel-pin-post is there for stability during finishing, and will be removed prior to final assembly.

Lotsa hand-work involved in this. Sometimes I wonder, myself, where the time goes.....

 

The beginnings of the bevel/'round over' on front, outside (03:00 to 05:30), of knuckle bow:

 

post-21709-1304309974.jpg

 

 

The bevels are fairly complete, here, and await the further round over.

Note the fitting required for blade edge, under thumb choil.

 

post-21709-1304313554.jpg

 

 

Some backspine filework for added grip and aesthetics:

 

post-21709-1304310296.jpg

 

 

This yellow brass is a challenge to photograph decently well for detail.

Time to build a light-box, I s'pose.

 

post-21709-1304310385.jpg

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DSchlagan

It is more than necessary to keep the ricasso guard separate until the 'X-Y axis plane' of the brass grip assembly is nearly finished.

 

post-21709-1304310577.jpg

 

 

The "split-grip" will become apparent, in time:

 

post-21709-1304310784.jpg

 

Regards,

Don.

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Jack's Son

Don,

I am SO impressed!!

You will now be inundated with requests and your advice. Truly top-notch Craftsmanship! :thumbsup:

 

JS

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DSchlagan

JS,

Thank you for your kind words.

Much appreciated!

 

Regards,

Don.

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islandhopper

Don,

 

Very nice indeed. There's not much more that I can add that others haven't already said. I get to the end of your update posts and then feel bummed that they stop! It really is amazing and I look forward to the final result, although spreading it out gives me something to look forward to on the forum.

 

I'll be receiving my first Q225 in the next week or so and I look forward to that. I've never even picked one up, as they are pretty scarce in my parts and plus I've always been a Ka-Bar kind of person. If they've been around I probably passed them by. But over the last year or so they have grown on me in terms of their appearance and construction. And although I like most things "stock," with the original condition of your project knife, you are creating art.

 

P.S. The other conversation about the quartermaster sheaths, where you thought the design might be because they looked better with the blade end to the rear, I'm starting to feel that you are right that this was the reason for the "left-handed" sheath design. It makes sense to me after thinking on it some that they might have thought this way back then. Interesting though, if true, that the decision was made based on appearance rather than functionality. But then remember the 13 buttons on the front of the Navy dress blues! If you've ever had a belly full of San Miguel and needed to make a head call with those things on you might be wondering the same thing.

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DSchlagan

islandhopper,

 

Thanks much for your interest and thoughtful comments!

 

Be sure to post some photos of your "Q" knife after it is secured.

I'm sure that we would all like to see it!

 

Regards,

Don.

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