Antler scales?????

[ANDYRAF]

Here's a photo of a knife I've had since I was 14 as I am now 51 this month, you can probably understand my reticence about making a mess of it.

I need to rehandle it so.
What I need to know is:

Is antler stable enough for the job.
Should I use scales or embed the whole tang in the antler.
Which is the best way to fix it all together.

I've looked on bb and other sites and find them confusing and usually they only talk about wood. Maybe I'm dim.
Any advice gratefully received.

Andy

 

[fishfish]

hello mate , nice knife there! is the antler fallow or red? ive used loads ov antler for handles,wether you do scales or a hidden tang is up to you! one tip for you though any exposed honeycomb /marrow can be sorted by filling with superglue GEL , the runny stuff will just soak in till youve broke the bank! use a quick cear setting epoxy for fixing the handle.
Any better pics of the knife? good luck with it whatever you decide.

 

[ANDYRAF]

I have no idea what the antler came off, picked it up in a wood at a place called Tregothnan near Truro.
Hopefully better pics.

Someone threw it at a tree for me, nice of them was it not, my fault I put it down and not back in the sheath.
Cheers Andy

 

[John Fenna]

I would go with a hidden tang - looks like a nice section of the antler from just beyond the point by the crown to the swell before second branching....brass bolster and butt cap and you are sorted!
What make is the knife?

 

[ANDYRAF]

Hi John, I have absolutely no idea at 14 it was just a shiny, pointy sharp thing for scout camp at Bovey Tracey in Devon.
Since then it has been all over the world usually taped to my webbing or chest rig.
Andy

 

[badgeringtim]

My only advice would be to cut and look into the antler first. As said above the honeycombing can be filled, but even then i would have thought it would be weaker.
I have some fallow and was suprised just how gappy it was inside, before that i had only used reindeer which is damn near solid.
If i am honest the hiden tangs are easy enough to do, by that i mean i can do them and make it look pritty good. Ive not tried to do that where there is a finger guard though. Surely is also depends on the construction under the handle?
To put it another way that handle is past its best i am 100% sure you can put something better on!
Shaped or personalised or even just a very similar basic shape like what was there.
1 piece of advice i feel able to give, dont use the 30 second epoxy resin sets to fast with no room for twidling i have a 5mm gap above a small tanged hatched handle where the stuff went of in more like 10 seconds! Grrrr

 

[ANDYRAF]

Thanks Tim these are the bits I need to know, cheers again.

Andy

 

[Singeblister]

That looks like Fallow Antler but I could well be wrong , as said above for the filling of the marrow holes, I think you will strugle converting that to a stick tang without seeing the knife I would say the bolster is put on then the two bits of brass on either side with the tang running exposed though the first bit of the brass ? so you would have to neatly file down the full tang either side of the brass to make it look right , I would suggest just a refit of the scales , drill out the pins , make sure you put the knife in a drill vice as the bit can grab the blade spins at high speed and it can hurt a lot , as I have found out once before lol. Good luck with it Andy and if you need to know anything just ask

 

[Wolverau]

I would go with a hidden tang - looks like a nice section of the antler from just beyond the point by the crown to the swell before second branching....brass bolster and butt cap and you are sorted!
What make is the knife?

That is a William Rogers (i cut my way) i have an identical one.... superb knives.. nice

 

[ANDYRAF]

Cheers Wolverau, Can I ask where you got yours from, mine came from a old Ironmongery shop which has since disappeared from Bodmin.

Andy

 

[L.T. Wright]

I agree with singeblister...having repaired knives of this type, it would be easiest to drill out the pins and fix on new antler slabs. There are a lot of fasteners available today with male and female threads ( such as the corby type ) that it makes it easier to afix the scales. I am a big fan of mechanical attachments and glued scales combined. Good luck
God Bless
L.T.

 

[ANDYRAF]

Thanks LT, I'm stiil considering what pins to use, by the way checked out your web site you make some really nice pieces. I'll let you know how it goes.

Andy