Help! Three old knives all lost their handles!

[SUP]

This week, three of my old knives have loosened or cracked handles. I am really miffed about it. The blades are fine.

Is there anything that I can do? Or will I need a cutler or bladesmith?

One of them, a Henckel, has a beautiful ebony handle that I am loathe to replace. I have cleaned it and kept it aside. I plan to call the company to ask if they have any suggestions.

On another, the handle is completely cracked and will need replacement.  That is a Rose, probably pre-1916.

The third,  a Dixon, the handle has come off and can be replaced or the same used, if possible. As much as possible, I like to keep things as is.

I've been looking online and see plenty of ready-made handles - no idea of quality or even how to select the appropriate size.

Any guidance is much appreciated.

 

[fredk]

photos of each would help us with suggestions 

[SUP]

I'll put up pics  this evening. Its Saturday morning - weekly shopping etc. time.

I will be able to respond to any comments here at the same time.

[DieselTech]

Yep this should be a easy fix, as long as you don't mind shaping & playing with a Lil  wood. You can purchase the knife handle rivets & the counter sink rivet drill bit thru multiple suppliers. 

[Wepster]

Cracked handle could be filled with colored epoxy. Color to match the wood as close as you can, or a color to compliment your kitchen. CA glue can also be used, Starbond has vids on how to build up layers and color.

I fixed an old handle with plastiwood filler.

[SUP]

I thought of doing that to an earlier hand-made knife but chickened out. Everything too new for me. Another member here, @AlZilla even gave me some lovely coco bolo wood for it, which is safe. I look at both  sideways periodically, trying to get up the courage to do it.

But I cannot have that knife and these 3 out of commission. I need to pull up my socks or find someone to  put the handles on the knives for me.

I just want to be sure that I am not taken for a ride. 

 

 

 

[Bert03241]

pic please

 

[DieselTech]

58 minutes ago, SUP said:

I thought of doing that to an earlier hand-made knife but chickened out. Everything too new for me. Another member here, @AlZilla even gave me some lovely coco bolo wood for it, which is safe. I look at both  sideways periodically, trying to get up the courage to do it.

But I cannot have that knife and these 3 out of commission. I need to pull up my socks or find someone to  put the handles on the knives for me.

I just want to be sure that I am not taken for a ride. 

 

 

 

Get us some pics. I'll help walk you thru it. I'm sure other knife builders will chime in as well to the best attack plan. 

But pics would help a bunch. 

Thanks. 

[SUP]

@DieselTech Yes. I'll get the pics ready and put them up here. Will do it within a day or so. 

Thank you so much all of you..

[TonyV]

 I'm no knife smith so, I would just glue 'em together and wrap 'em in leather !  

Please don't hit me :D

[bladegrinder]

If you use that Coco Bolo be careful, some folks are allergic to it. I won't go into what it did to me a couple times but I stopped using it around twenty years ago.

[DieselTech]

11 minutes ago, bladegrinder said:

If you use that Coco Bolo be careful, some folks are allergic to it. I won't go into what it did to me a couple times but I stopped using it around twenty years ago.

Lol it's beautiful wood. But I found out it makes me itch like crazy. 

[SUP]

Coco bolo is beautiful. I will handle it for a while and see if it has any effects on me. If not, I would love to use it... if I can.

Let's see if I can add knife repair skills to my repertoire! LOL

[DieselTech]

31 minutes ago, SUP said:

Coco bolo is beautiful. I will handle it for a while and see if it has any effects on me. If not, I would love to use it... if I can.

Let's see if I can add knife repair skills to my repertoire! LOL

If you need more coco bolo, I got a bunch, just let me know. 

[SUP]

4 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

If you need more coco bolo, I got a bunch, just let me know. 

I will. Thank you.

[SUP]

These are 2 of the knives. Now let's see if I can add the other pics. I always have trouble adding more than 2 pics no matter how small the size of the files. 

Cannot upload any more pics. Will try later or tomorrow.

[DieselTech]

6 minutes ago, SUP said:

These are 2 of the knives. Now let's see if I can add the other pics. I always have trouble adding more than 2 pics no matter how small the size of the files. 

Cannot upload any more pics. Will try later or tomorrow.

Thanks. If want to do the job right & make it easier on you. I recommend you buy a knife handle broach. Either thru Alec Steele or black dragon forge. Or you can make one also. 

Also if you want new brass ferrules for the handles I know a place to get them. You can also repair & reuse your old ones. 

[SUP]

Okay. I will get a knife handle broach. It is to cut the slot in the wood to fit the tang, am I right? I will probably need to use one multiple times since I have several round knives, all old ones. One or the other is sure to lose its handle. 

I doubt I will be able to repair all the ferrules. I will clean them thoroughly and decide but at least one needs replacement.

 

.

[SUP]

The thing is, the broken handle on the Rose knife is supposed to be original. So I would have liked to save it. Do you think it is possible? Would a bladesmith be able to do it if an amateur like me cannot?

The other two handles have just come off and with the broach, I should be able to dig out whatever gunk there is inside and stick the tang back in, hopefully.

[DieselTech]

13 minutes ago, SUP said:

The thing is, the broken handle on the Rose knife is supposed to be original. So I would have liked to save it. Do you think it is possible? Would a bladesmith be able to do it if an amateur like me cannot?

The other two handles have just come off and with the broach, I should be able to dig out whatever gunk there is inside and stick the tang back in, hopefully.

Any good metal worker or blade Smith could use some low heat brazing rod. Then they would build it up & sand it down. A guy or gal with good talent could easily fix it like it never even happened. 

[SUP]

I'm so glad to hear that!  

I'll look for someone here. 

[Wepster]

The wood on the one with the long split, most likely has shrunk, and or when it was made the blade was a bit snug and stress finally cracked it. Not much a bladesmith can do to restore wood back to whole. When woodworkers encounter splits, and they want to use that piece of wood, epoxy or CA, very dark brown or black to blend as good as they can, or color to add accent. 

It is possible, with the split one, someone forced the blade in an split it. If it is loose enough to take off, you could try some wood glue, and clamp it back closed, see if it works, then carefully fit the blade back it. TAPE the blades edges!!! But I am sure you would do that anyway

[Wepster]

Maybe you can find someone in your area. https://www.americanbladesmith.org/

[SUP]

Thank you @Wepster. I will look for a bladesmith in my locality. For the Rose knife, I will need someone to repair the handle.

The others, I might be able to do, once I get a handle broach. They are unfortunately sold out right now but as soon as it's available from somewhere or the other I'll work on those handles. Meanwhile, I can work to get the rust out and the tangs really clean.

[DieselTech]

46 minutes ago, SUP said:

Thank you @Wepster. I will look for a bladesmith in my locality. For the Rose knife, I will need someone to repair the handle.

The others, I might be able to do, once I get a handle broach. They are unfortunately sold out right now but as soon as it's available from somewhere or the other I'll work on those handles. Meanwhile, I can work to get the rust out and the tangs really clean.

You won't need the knife broach if you don't plan on making a new handles. I miss understood & thought you wanted to replace the handles. 

 

But if you decide to fix that Rose knife handle, the knife handle broach will be needed to get the glue out of the handle after it is repaired. 

@SUP