[maskedman504]

The cross guard and handle on this piece have play in them and I would love to replace the grip with a natural wood type and even maintain the crossguard; I am not sure how to take off the current handle. There are no pins or screws through it. I took a picture of the bottom of the tang- the piece aren't simply put in place and then staked on, or are they? Any insight is appreciated.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc99/maskedman504/IMG_0829.jpg

[hso]

Isn't that the Cold Steel dirk you just bought? Send it back if there's a problem.

[maskedman504]

Oddly enough, now that I have it apart I am more stumped than before.

The bottom brass piece is a cover. Unscrew the piece securing it to the tang reveals another piece surcing the rest of the handle with a washer. I suppose I could just torque that down again and loctite it or something, but I am kind of interested in replacing the black plastic grip parts with a type of wood.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc99/maskedman504/IMG_0828-1.jpg

[hso]

Same process with the wood as with the plastic bits. This is a rat-tail tang that fastens with a screw pressing the whole mess onto the guard.

[maskedman504]

I suppose I was referring to crafting the wooden bits. The tang is tapered and transitions from rectangular to circular. I am having a difficult time imagining how to drill out the wood in order to fit correctly on the tang.

[hso]

Drill a pilot hole and then use small rasps/files to widen the hole to fit the tang.

Alternately, use a drill press to drill from the wide side and be careful to keep the depth/width of your drilled side by side holes just slightly smaller than your tang.

Alternately to that, cut out a piece of metal the same shape as the tang and just slightly smaller and burn in the space for the tang after you make your pilot hole.

Regardless, you'll want to fill with some sort of filler when you get ready to put it all back together. That might be wool or hair or epoxy.

[maskedman504]

Thanks hso- once I figure out what I am going to do, I will do it! :D

And post pics.

[CWL]

Here's a link to basic knife handling instructions from Thompson's Scandinavian Knives. Your dirk is made pretty much exactly like this stick tang knife.

If you do your own online searching, you will find that most Scandinavian knives are made in the same manner and there will be lots of ideas that you can adapt for your dirk.


http://www.thompsonsknives.com/knife_instructions.html

[JHansenAK47]

Is the tang welded onto the blade. It appears so but I cannot tell definitely.

[maskedman504]

Is the tang welded onto the blade. It appears so but I cannot tell definitely.

I don't think so.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc99/maskedman504/IMG_0830.jpg

[cpirtle]

The scales on your Dirk are not plastic, they are horn (probably Blesbuk or Kudu), explains the white marks you mentioned in another thread.

You can make them tighter by reassembling the knife and while you do it fill the voids with JB Weld between the pieces and use a cut coat hanger to poke it in the hole alongside the tang. Let it set for a day or two and it will be rock solid.

You can use the same technique if you do wood, just drill the size hole necessary for that section.

The traditional method would be to fit the handle while the tang was red hot, burning the hole to size. I would not recommend that technique with your dirk.

FWIW, horn is probably a more authentic material than wood. It has excellent gripping properties when wet with sweat, water or blood. Coat it in a light oil occasionally to keep it from shrinking or cracking and it will last a lifetime.

[hso]

Just an FYI, the oil for horn should be food grade mineral oil instead of petroleum based.

[maskedman504]

On the cold steel website, it says the scales are horn; I don't like the high gloss way they are finished. Ideally, refinishing them in a more matte black finish would be preferable I guess. Maybe I will sand and repaint them.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc99/maskedman504/IMG_0834.jpg

[hso]

Maybe I will sand and repaint them.

No, horn won't take paint. You might stain them a bit darker.

Make some replicas out of whatever material you want using the existing pieces for patterns. Heck, get some black paper micarta and reproduce the grip pieces.