ditchman 1,509 Posted April 22, 2020 Report Share Posted April 22, 2020 my mate in acle gave me this old knife which he picked up in a box of bits at a car boot sale for a £5.oo quid........it is heavy and very well made.....the troulble was all the springs had snapped....and it was badly scratched and generally unloved...........i did a bit of research on it as i was surprised it was made in norwich....i rekon it was made just on the cusp of the invention of the first stainless steel (early 1900's).....the design is almost the same as the Boer War Officers horsknife which was made by the norwich company purely for the british cavalary.......... went onto an american website and was staggered to see these go for mega mooli........if i was going to rebuild it ....i would have to cut all the riverts off and replace them with the same design....and hand cut and harden and temper three new springs for it and remove most of the abuse marks...but leave the natural wear marks in/on it doing this knife...cause it is soo super sharpe i cut myself 6 times with it ....and that was before i sharpened it.............. when i finished it it was difficult to give back.....it went back to the owner about 3 weeks ago...i was pig sick....my mate is a butcher by trade but is a superb leather worker as a wind down hobby...so he owes me a big one on this ........... i will post the rebuild pics up as and when.................... 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2020 12 minutes ago, Balaur said: Looks similar to the navy knives that had a spike I was led to believe for opening knots in rope and cord. I'm sure you've done your research nice bit of kit, atb Joe that marlin spike is pinpoint sharp...and it has the old style can opener.....it also has a cutting awl........i will post the pics up as i go along...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) first thing to do is to cut the riverts off with an old repoposed wood chisel......i had a good look at the shape of the finish on the rivert heads before i cut them off ...as i want to replicate the same shape when i put it back together again....... Edited April 23, 2020 by ditchman 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 sorry its picture heavy........so you can see the problem............all 3 spring are broken....and they are a funny shape..................they will all have to be cut by hand and shaped and thinned 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Greyman 25,279 Posted April 23, 2020 Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 Loving the photos Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 2 minutes ago, Greyman said: Loving the photos good ....being new ish to the site ....i was a bit timid about putting loads of pics up......i think it tells a story and gives people confidence....so that they say...."well thats not so difficult ...i could do that ..." 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spsurfer 891 Posted April 23, 2020 Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 3 hours ago, ditchman said: ...i was a bit timid about putting loads of pics up...... The more pictures the better! Does someone read the Playboy? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 got the flat stock out ...O1..........and started tracing out shape...using the hole as a datum point...........i welded on of the springs back together to get the shape right,,,,,i will increase the size of the pivot point shoulder as that is where it seemed to break as a result of being jammed with rust 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
samuria 331 Posted April 23, 2020 Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 i remember pearsons shop at the top of bedford street. the window was full of all types of knives!!!!! i got my first sheath knife from there which my dad bought. today the shop would be closed down showing its stock like that. axes, billhooks you name it it was there. like the work you have done. bit like the army type jack knife i have a few of them 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 ooohhh i like that ..and with the screwdriver blade on the end.............mate has 4 pearson knives....the one that i worked on and 3 little pipe smokers knives........... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
samuria 331 Posted April 24, 2020 Report Share Posted April 24, 2020 this one is from 1942 has date on the can opener. also what looks like a eye with (withess) written below it ????? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2020 "Whitness".........is an old tool brand isnt it ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
samuria 331 Posted April 24, 2020 Report Share Posted April 24, 2020 1 hour ago, ditchman said: "Whitness".........is an old tool brand isnt it ? i will have a search ...... thanks.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2020 1 hour ago, samuria said: i will have a search ...... thanks.. think i used to use taps & dies called that name ....... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman 1,509 Posted April 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2020 so ....all the springs cut and shaped by hand....then into the fire to harden temperature and quench in oil...............clean off and anneal...to spring temperature (blueish)....then clean up again and get the thickness spot on.........the spring needs to be a bit smaller than the tools so the riverts hold the tools snug and the spring is free to move and hold a bit of oil.. then clean and polish and ready to fit/assemble // 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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