Questions about an Old Timer 1940T

[Ozwelder]

Hi Guys,
In the last week I scored an Old Timer 1940T with the similar liner lock to the one Meridian Mike had except this liner lock is working as good as the day it was made. I have spent a few hours in the last week cleaning it up to remove the rust. A popsicle stick wrapped in 200 grit paper cleaned up the blade well and what little crud was still there, I raked out with a splinter probe.I washed it out in denatured spirits-we call it mentholated spirits down under.

The blade opens and closes really well and has a nice strong snap.The blade profile was unfortunate but more on that later.

I have used 200,400 and 800 wet and dry to remove the rust and scratches caused by some woeful sharpening techniques.

It must have been the same idiot as wrecked Mike's knife -these idiots sure move around. I have found that using a rubber and W & D Paper I get wonderful results - hang on! you call them erasers,don't you, not rubbers ? I would hate to give the wrong impression.

I have two questions arising from the work I have done.

The first question is regarding the patina.I have used wet and dry paper and paraffin oil- you may know it as baby oil.The paraffin protects the metal well against my salt exuding fingers. The question is however, will a patina form over time while using this oil? The oil seems to soak into the bone scales on other knives and protects knives well as I am close to the sea.

Secondly a previous owner- a man who should be made to wear a blue striped apron, sharpened the blade in such a way as to remove a belly of metal some 5/16" ahead of the choil nick, the deepest part of the missing metal is about 3/32" deep.

I am inclined to resharpen and move the profile back that 3/32" to the choil end to straighten up the cutting edge.

Is this a giant NO NO or could this re shaping on the blade it be regarded as normal practice?

Thanks
Ozwelder

[Jeffinn]

It’s your knife, do whatever makes you happy.
You’ll get opinions on both sides for this. Some don’t believe you should ever clean, polish or touch a knife in any way and others, myself included say do whatever makes you happy.
If you’re preserving a knife for its historical value, then that’s another story. But if you’re cleaning up your latest acquisition from the bay, do what you want and have fun with it.
Jeff

[orvet]

I agree with Jeff.

[Reverand]

As far as patina, if the blade is oiled and cleaned often it will have less patina, but I think that one will still form if the knife is used. Oil and use will definitely help keep it from rusting.

Concerning blades: If I am fixing up a knife to be an EDC (the only kind of knives that I can afford!), then I consider this standard practice. I bring the blade shape back to "normal", or if it is too badly worn I may reprofile the blade shape completely. When I have done that, I use a dremel to make the tiny notch above the choil (I don't recall the name for it). That makes a blade look right again.

I think that your intent is important. If you are making repairs to a used/abused/worn knife to return it to service again, do it!
If one were trying to somehow counterfeit or even clean up a knife and call it "mint condition" in order to fool a buyer, then it would be wrong. As already said, if it is very old, rare, or valuable, then you drastically lower the value.
As an example, the main on this blade was so worn that it was impossible to make it look right, so I reshaped it into a Wharncliffe blade. It is obviously too short now, and I left some grind marks on it, because my knives occasionally see some rough usage anyway. Not trying to fool anybody, just breathing new life into a low-value knife to save it from the landfill, and to use it!

[Meridian_Mike]

I run in the same circle as Reverand... The old "hurt and ailing" knives are about the only ones I can afford. SO, I enjoy doing a RESTORATION on them and making those old guys look and feel "like new" again.

Jeff is right..... It's your knife, do what makes you happy.
When I am gone, I hope my kids remember.... "that old knife is ole Dad brought back from "the dead"... LOL.

Good luck!

[Meridian_Mike]

Secondly a previous owner- a man who should be made to wear a blue striped apron, sharpened the blade in such a way as to remove a belly of metal some 5/16" ahead of the choil nick, the deepest part of the missing metal is about 3/32" deep.

I am inclined to resharpen and move the profile back that 3/32" to the choil end to straighten up the cutting edge.

Is this a giant NO NO or could this re shaping on the blade it be regarded as normal practice?

If I am understanding this part correctly, I got a Bone handle Case a few weeks ago with a similar condition.
Like this MAYBE....????
XX

I carefully straightened out the bottom line of the blade and filed in a new choil ...
I don't have a finished pic to show but I thought it turned out good and there was several guys at the last gun show that wanted it.
SO.... I don't think dressing up a blade by re-profiling it lessens the desirability to ANYONE except maybe those anal collectors.
(Ain't many of those out there.... and I sho' 'nuff AIN'T one....LOL)

[Ozwelder]

Hi Mike,
Thats exactly the same sort of wear to the blade I wrote about except that in my knife the worn away curve was a bit longer.
I cannot understand that someone could be that obtuse and damage a good blade like that.What the hell did they do ,sharpen it on a concrete footpath?

I am a bit fanatical about having a sharp well looked after blade.
Thanks guys.
I will go with the flow of opinions and do my own thing.. This knife is the first Schrade liner lock I have set eyes on.

I have seen plenty of cheap stainless no names but never a traditional linerlock knife made by a traditional maker.
Its mine now and I am keeping it.

Schrades,Old Timers and Uncle Henry's would be the most common type of traditional folders sold here in Oz. I have bought most of my folders in the 90.s but these days the newer knives with artificial scales ( that does not include Delrin) don't appeal to to me at all.

I picked up a dozen of so assorted knives through Aussie Ebay but they are way overpriced down here.Thrift stores won't carry pocket knifes or even the pawn shops.

Thanks for the replies

ozwelder
.

[Meridian_Mike]

This knife is the first Schrade liner lock I have set eyes on.

I have seen plenty of cheap stainless no names but never a traditional linerlock knife made by a traditional maker.
Its mine now and I am keeping it.

Schrades,Old Timers and Uncle Henry's would be the most common type of traditional folders sold here in Oz. I have bought most of my folders in the 90.s but these days the newer knives with artificial scales ( that does not include Delrin) don't appeal to to me at all.

I picked up a dozen of so assorted knives through Aussie Ebay but they are way overpriced down here.Thrift stores won't carry pocket knifes or even the pawn shops.

Golly... I didn't think those types of knives would be so uncommon in your part of the world.

The 194 OT is a good one to add to your collection.....
Good find!