All About Pocket Knives

You have to love the quality of the old knives. All of these were given to me because they were about to be thrown away.
I tell all of my friends to never throw away a knife, just bring it to me. Almost every one of these has broken blade tips,
so much rust they wouldn't open, or broken end pins..

I am a total amateur repair guy. I send my good knives to someone
else that knows what they're doing. I have managed to bring all of these back to life though. I'm especially proud of the
old Camillus 72 on the bottom. It was totally trashed. I did my first complete dismantle and rebuild on it. I also did the
same on the Old Timer 8OT at the top, getting rid of broken Swinden keys and pinning it.

They are all great everyday users now, and there's just something very satisfying about that, especially in these insane
times that we're living right now.

Thanks for taking the time to read my novel...

great work.

Thanks doglegg! it's a labor of love...

Nice job!
Welcome to a hobby more addictive than knife collecting, ie knife repairing!

Congratulations, I like your style! Nothing better than bringing a junker back to life.
When I retired I had intended on doing more than cleaning, cosmetic and reshaping tipped blades but there is way too many things to keep me occupied here on the farm. My wife has said several times, "We should sell and move to town and you wont have to work so hard." I'd rather live on a dirt road and work on a deer plot or a vegetable garden than have time to piddle with knives sitting on a acre lot in town!
Show us more as you continue your work.,
Treefarmer

Great looking knives! You did a fine job on those! Congrats!

Congratulations, great work! It is hard to explain this addiction to someone who hasn't experienced the fun and satisfaction of bringing these great oldies back to life.

orvet wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:55 pm Nice job!
Welcome to a hobby more addictive than knife collecting, ie knife repairing!

Thanks so much Dale. You do great work. I wish to be that good someday...

treefarmer wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:57 pm Congratulations, I like your style! Nothing better than bringing a junker back to life.
When I retired I had intended on doing more than cleaning, cosmetic and reshaping tipped blades but there is way too many things to keep me occupied here on the farm. My wife has said several times, "We should sell and move to town and you wont have to work so hard." I'd rather live on a dirt road and work on a deer plot or a vegetable garden than have time to piddle with knives sitting on a acre lot in town!
Show us more as you continue your work.,
Treefarmer

Thanks Treefarmer. My wife and I care for my 98 year old mother. We live in the Atlanta area, and can't wait to be able to move to the country! We don't want to disrupt her routine, as she has dementia and think it would be too hard on her. I have plans to fix a lot more old knives. I tell her all the time that the more complicated life gets, the more I love knives. I understand them, they have a blade and a handle..I can actually grasp that concept!

herbva wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:09 pm Congratulations, great work! It is hard to explain this addiction to someone who hasn't experienced the fun and satisfaction of bringing these great oldies back to life.

Thank you Herb! Is is an addiction. I have my "users" and my "lookers". I've been collecting since I was a kid, and I'm 60 now. I don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

TPK wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 6:45 pm Great looking knives! You did a fine job on those! Congrats!

Thanks very much, TPK! I learn a little more, each time I mess one up!

toomanyknives wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:22 pm

treefarmer wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:57 pm Congratulations, I like your style! Nothing better than bringing a junker back to life.
When I retired I had intended on doing more than cleaning, cosmetic and reshaping tipped blades but there is way too many things to keep me occupied here on the farm. My wife has said several times, "We should sell and move to town and you wont have to work so hard." I'd rather live on a dirt road and work on a deer plot or a vegetable garden than have time to piddle with knives sitting on a acre lot in town!
Show us more as you continue your work.,
Treefarmer

Thanks Treefarmer. My wife and I care for my 98 year old mother. We live in the Atlanta area, and can't wait to be able to move to the country! We don't want to disrupt her routine, as she has dementia and think it would be too hard on her. I have plans to fix a lot more old knives. I tell her all the time that the more complicated life gets, the more I love knives. I understand them, they have a blade and a handle..I can actually grasp that concept!

Nothing but admiration for you. In this throw away society we live in now, to get an old object, whatever it is and restore and preserve it is not only a noble thing to do, but a skillful craft to have. You are preserving history, when these objects are gone, the're gone forever. And older objects on a whole, were made by skilled craftsman and that was their lives work and love, not like most of the mass produced junk that is spat out of a production line. Well done, and keep posting your restoring work.

toomanyknives wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:26 pm

TPK wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 6:45 pm Great looking knives! You did a fine job on those! Congrats!

Thanks very much, TPK! I learn a little more, each time I mess one up!

LOL! Learning by doing = Ya do much, ya learn much! Ya do nothing, ya learn nothing!
I just made that up extra for you. LOL!
Your doing a fine job Buddy!

Good night Friends!
"The early bird catches the worm. The second mouse get's the cheese."
Tom

Those all look quite serviceable from here. Nice job putting some "life" into them!

Thank you TPK sir!

glennbad wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:40 pm Those all look quite serviceable from here. Nice job putting some "life" into them!

Thanks Glennbad! they turned out to be pretty good users!

cudgee wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:57 pm

toomanyknives wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:22 pm

treefarmer wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:57 pm Congratulations, I like your style! Nothing better than bringing a junker back to life.
When I retired I had intended on doing more than cleaning, cosmetic and reshaping tipped blades but there is way too many things to keep me occupied here on the farm. My wife has said several times, "We should sell and move to town and you wont have to work so hard." I'd rather live on a dirt road and work on a deer plot or a vegetable garden than have time to piddle with knives sitting on a acre lot in town!
Show us more as you continue your work.,
Treefarmer

Thanks Treefarmer. My wife and I care for my 98 year old mother. We live in the Atlanta area, and can't wait to be able to move to the country! We don't want to disrupt her routine, as she has dementia and think it would be too hard on her. I have plans to fix a lot more old knives. I tell her all the time that the more complicated life gets, the more I love knives. I understand them, they have a blade and a handle..I can actually grasp that concept!

Nothing but admiration for you. In this throw away society we live in now, to get an old object, whatever it is and restore and preserve it is not only a noble thing to do, but a skillful craft to have. You are preserving history, when these objects are gone, the're gone forever. And older objects on a whole, were made by skilled craftsman and that was their lives work and love, not like most of the mass produced junk that is spat out of a production line. Well done, and keep posting your restoring work.

Thank you so much...

Great restorations, TMK. I admire your tenacity and desire to bring those knives back to life. Keep up the GREAT work...you make users out of abusers.

Looking good x10

Awesome job! My hats off to you!

I learn a little more, each time I mess one up!
[/quote]
That should be my quote! But, it's nice to have a diversion...from all the other things going on around us...then, ending up with a group of knives...that have enough life left, for a couple more generations! Nice work!!!

That's a great looking group, good job saving them.

My parents grew up in the Depression and drilled into us principles of re-cycle, hand me down, re-use, never throw away, save for a rainy day, don't buy if you can make one, and such mentality. Rubbed off on us. Becoming a lost art as so many people bring you stuff they would throw out. My neighbors bring me stuff all the time. Half my tools and machines are from great old guys who gave me stuff they were getting rid of and I gave it second life and they really helped me out when I didn't have money for all new tools. Kept them out of landfills too. Those are virtues to me. Keeps history going instead of getting further distant in the past. Makes it part of you and you it. Those knives were not through, the owner just was through with them. Love hearing stuff like this because it's useful, a value, and an ethic that should be taught and respected. Great story and keep up the good work, good to see.

I like the jack at the top with the wharncliffe secondary ... did you fashion that wharnie yourself ?

Lansky1 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 17, 2020 3:37 am I like the jack at the top with the wharncliffe secondary ... did you fashion that wharnie yourself ?

Sorry for the late reply, John. I did fashion that wharncliffe out of a badly damaged pen blade. That knife is an old Boker USA.
It's basically a Camillus 18 Jack..