All About Pocket Knives

I have a bunch of Ulster and Imperial scout knives with missing "bails". They appear to be mounted different from each other. I am going to try to put these old workhorses back in the best shape possible. Does anybody have any guidance for me. Nickle silver is so malleable that I'm thinking of using stainless steel. What I really need to know is how to bend the part that goes into the bolster so that it will stay.
Thanks, Randy Few

I had to manufacture a bail for a rehab project (scout knife) I was doing. It was difficult to do, and I only had minimal success. This was the style where the bail ends just stick in the holes, not peened through.

I used the stainless rod. I just viced up about 3/16" on each end and tapped it over to 90 deg. I then sanded it down to the proper depth for the holes. Then I found a smooth round thick steel rod and clamped it in a vice so I could peen-form the bend for the loop. That went well. However, when trying to get a good fit in the knife, I couldn't get the ends to snug well in the knife.

I am also curious if anyone has a better mousetrap for this.

Glenn

I've got one with what looks like spun pins going thru the bolster and passing thru the horseshoe of the bail. The horseshoe has had ends flattened and drilled to accept the spun pin. I probably don't have a hammer big enough to flatten the stainless rod enough to drill. I guess that I need to go out to my shop and experiment some. That is the reason GOD and Harbor Freight made anvils. Will the stainless cooperate better if I nudge it with the torch? Just pondering.

Not sure about the torch, haven't had to resort to that yet. If I were to make one of those, I would start flattening the ends in a large vise. That might flatten things out a bit more even than using a hammer and anvil the whole way. The stainless should take a bit more abuse than the nickel silver, though.

Glenn

i have made a few bails...
what is the problem...take a piece of wire...cut to length... smuck the end of wire on a anvil with a big hammer...squish the ends, drill holes...
bend around a piece of pipe or screwdriver shaft...

insert pin through knife and bail...tap tap tap



do i not understand the problem?

Randy, what you might try is to heat up the bail wire, whether it is stainless or whatever, and then flatten it with a smallish hammer. If you are worried about overheating, heat it indirectly by putting it on a piece of copper for instance, and heat the copper. On the bail where the ends just push into the knife, i.e it doesn't have a pin running through the ends, why not try and make a spring out of the stainless bail? I don't know if you could get hold of some N690/440c of 440A stainless, but they both make decent springs. That way you could bend open the bail, clip it in and the spring will hold it in place?

Just my 2c worth...

I appreciate the guidance. I will try your ideas. I 'm trying to get where I can do good work on my own stuff. The guys that do work for the public have my complete admiration. The tutorials and suggestions that they throw out are priceless.

A big Amen to that