How would you fix this knife handle?

tjb

tjb

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I'd like to repair the handle on this knife which is a part of set. Since the handle is already broken, I guess I don't have much to lose by diving in and trying to dismantle it, but I thought I'd see if any of our experts could offer some wise counsel on how to go about it. Should I attempt to patch it or replace it? I strongly suspect that no matter which, I'll need to cut the rivets holding the handle in place which may damage it beyond repair. Delrin looks like it could be a good match.

For the record, I've already contacted the manufacturer about a replacement, and they no longer make this particular knife.

Regards

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Cast some epoxy around the broken areas.

Or, grind out the rivets, make new handles (both sides) and rivet it back together. Not sure what it takes to set those big rivets.

Mostly depends on your need for it to match the rest of the set. Have you checked eBay for a replacement?

John
 
matthewsx said:
Cast some epoxy around the broken areas.

Or, grind out the rivets, make new handles (both sides) and rivet it back together. Not sure what it takes to set those big rivets.

Mostly depends on your need for it to match the rest of the set. Have you checked eBay for a replacement?

John
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Been checking ebay for several months. We can get close but not exact. The rivets are not nearly that size all the way through - you can tell from the close up photo. I suspect they assemble the pieces together - maybe pressing the two sides of the rivets together - and then run it through a surface-grinder style machine to finish to size.

Cast epoxy sounds like a possibility. I'll need to do some research on that. Can you point me to a resource?

Thanks for the reply.

Regards
 
All things epoxy.

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If you’re not experienced, casting thick sections can be a little tricky. If you do decide it’s the way to go I’d suggest doing a test piece first.

I have a similar set of knives and understand why you want to fix yours, good luck.

John
 
Thanks, John.

I'll do some research on that and probably give it a shot. It's pretty much of a no-lose situation: It's already not being used, so the worst I can do is break even. I'll put this on the to-do list and may pick your brain a little when I investigate it further.

Regards
 
I put handles on a bunch of blades last year.
Black epoxy (epoxy + black tint) would be my choice. A small volume like that won't generate enough heat to cause any problems, but you need to try to minimize air bubbles in the epoxy.
The patch will show, but it's your best bet if you want to try to match the rest of a set.
For tint, get some MIXOL® Nr. 1 Schwarz
(IMO) Delrin will not have the right feel for a knife handle - it has sort of a 'greasy' plastic feel.
If you want to replace the scales with wood, you don't need the rivets - you can just epoxy the scales on with WEST G-Flex.
 
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