All About Pocket Knives

Could anyone recommend a book on pocketknife repair.I would like to know what tools to get and the proper way to take knives apart and clean and repair them.Thank you Dennis

Hi dencollie,

We just started a repair area here and this probably belongs there now, but I would suggest The Complete Book of Pocketknife Repair (A Cutlers Manual) by Ben Kelley. He is a former employee of Case.

Check out Half.com for the best price, if that makes an difference to you. I just received my copy today from a Half.com vendor.

Welcome aboard.

I moved you to this forum.

I use Adrian Harris' Pocket Knife repair and restoration. Mr Harris is the maker of the Colonel Coon knives and a former Case repairman. lots of good tips and information. The only place I know of to get this book now is mooremaker.com

Jeff

I can second Ben Kelly's book, it is quite informative. I cannot speak for Harris's book, but I can tell you I'll be purchasing a copy soon to study-see if I can't learn a new trick or two from it!

MM, agteacher2 was kind enough to procure a copy of Adrian Harris' book for me and I'm sure he'd make you a good deal as well.

PM coming at you Jeff

What is the title of Adrian Harris' book? I have not been able to find it. I have Ben Kelly's book and it is good, but the more info the better.

Dale

PS- Thanks Jeff, I found it on moormaker.com. I just ordered it.

I just ordered a copy too, if I can pick up a couple tips it'll be worth it. A nice addition to my reference library if nothing else

orvet it's: "Knife Repair and Restoration" - by Adrian Harris
I just picked up :a copy for $15 at abebooks.com

Well, I just recieved "knife repair and restoration" by adrian harris. I was a bit dissapointed, it seems that no one goes in depth about each step, just does a quick overview and cuts you loose to work on your knife . It wasn't worth the $25 IMHO. I'll be selling my copy. After reading this book it still left me with many questions that could have been answered by just a bit more information. It would be ok for the beginner who needs a basic information guide, but if I wanted that I'd buy "The complete guide to pocket knife repair" by Ben Kelly Jr. (which I have and it is every bit as good as this book at half the price). I think I'll go out to the shop now. Bye

I will keep my copy for reference, but I agree, I wish someone would go into more detail, especially about making the head spinners. Harris did go into a little bit about how to make them, but not the detail I had hoped.
There is a knife repairman here in my home town. I know he makes his own spinners, so maybe I can talk him into showing me how he makes them & hopefully a lesson in how he uses them.

I also have a book called How to make Multi-Blade Folding Knives by Eugene Shadley & Terry Davis. I really haven't read it cover to cover, I usually use this type of book for reference. While they show the head spinners, they don't show how to make them. They go into more detail on the machine work of making a knife.

Dale

you had best pick his brain Dale, not many skilled folks that still know all the old tricks left around. I guess I'll have to approach the headspinners like I have approached nearly everything else, trial and error. I have just been hand peening pins, and I have gotten fairly good at it, I can get a pretty even head just by peening, which would look correct on older pre 1940ish knives anyway. But on those embellishment jobs, nearly perfect heads would be rather nice.

Here is an example of an embellishment job I am doing now.
It started with a Camillus TL-29. I decided I would take it apart and make a single blade Barlow out of it.

The liners were thinner than I wanted so I made new ones. I had some nickle silver bar stock that I used for the bolsters. Did a bit of file work on the liners & spring. I am about ready to put it together, but haven't decided what to put on the handle. I think I have it narrowed down to ebony or stag.

I am taking a vote:
Let me know what you think, ebony or stag?
Here are a couple pics.

Dale

as thick as the bolsters are I think some thick stag would be in order . Keep us posted,definately a total overhaul!

Looking good Dale!

Both handle materials wood...er, I mean would, look great I'm sure...but I'll go with M/M and say gnarly stag.

Thanks for sharing your work.

Bill

I found some Water Buffalo horn that has been jugged to look like Impala or I have the stag. Here is a pic of both.

I think I am leaning toward the stag.

Thanks for the input,
Dale

The black would look good with those bolsters man.
Black and shinney

hmmm, that buffalo horn would look good with those bolsters, but I'm gonna stick with the stag

Yes, I like the stag much better.

Stag it is...............................unless I screw it up

Dale , my 2cents ,Stag!
Randy
oops iam alittle late

The stag looks soooooooooooo good on it!
Once the epoxy cures, then I can pin it together, provided there are no unseen problems. I don't think I will put a shield on it. This is my first attempt at using stag so I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

But It looks great so far.
Hopefully it will be ready for some pics tomorrow.

Dale

OK, I finally got it pretty well finished. I had trouble with some head spinners that I made. It came off one pin & left a nice round circle in the stag on one side. And the pin heads didn't come out as well as I had hoped. I also had trouble with the pivot pin & had to peen it, which left a nice mark in the center of the pin on both sides of the bolster, as you can see in the pics.

I still need to do some work on the blade and reshape it a bit. Someone had taken a grinder to the blade and I had to do a lot of buffing & polishing to get as good as it is. Still have more work to do on the blade, it is easier to see in the pics than in person.

I started with a Camillus TL-29 and only used the blade & the back spring. Everything else I made. The liners are a lot thicker than the ones that came on the original knife. It is a big heavy knife.............but I kinda like is, especially since it is the first knife I have done in stag.

Dale

thats some purty stag, a hefty knife for sure!

BrokenCamillus wrote:Hi dencollie,

We just started a repair area here and this probably belongs there now, but I would suggest The Complete Book of Pocketknife Repair (A Cutlers Manual) by Ben Kelley. He is a former employee of Case.

Check out Half.com for the best price, if that makes an difference to you. I just received my copy today from a Half.com vendor.

Welcome aboard.

Yes this is a zombie thread resurrection. However, I just wanted everyone to see this post. This particular book sells in Amazon for $45-$115 dollars.... Half-priced books has new books STARTING at $99.00

I got a copy of Ben Kelly's book about 2005 or 2006. IIRC, I paid between $10 to $15.

You can get Adrian Harris' book; " Knife Repair & Restoration" for under $10 from Knife World books.
SMKW charges $8.95, as I recall, but you pay several dollars more for shipping I think.
Personally I would prefer to get it from Knife World, they are great folks & charge much less shipping last time I checked.

The new edition of Harris' book has some updated info in it like; etching blades & making knives, topics not addressed by Kelly as I recall.