How to Fix "Proud" Handle Pins ?

[DesertLefty]

I recently scored a deal on a baby Kukri. I like it!

However, one of the handle pins is a bit proud and has a burr that snags on my finger. Maybe it wasn't well finished at the "factory"?

I'm a bit of a klutz in the shop, so I thought it would be good to ask for advice before diving in to fix it.

Is there a way to fix this that won't require refinishing the handle? Thanks!

(Obviously I don't have a belt grinder. Or any experience as a knifemaker.)

P.S. Coincidentally Amazon just sent me a kitchen knife that has a similar problem (even worse). For $22 I'm figuring that I use it to practice on...

 

[Michael Black]

You can wrap a strip of sandpaper around something hard like an old file, and use that to sand it until it's flush. It's going to get the area immediately around the pin more than likely too, so you'll have to keep sanding back up until you get the finish the same as the rest of the handle. It might take some experimenting with different grits to figure out the final finish. I would probably start with 220 grit for the bulk material removal, and go up from there.

 

[bayouace]

I have a fine size set of files, and I have fiited duct tape around the proud pin, and hit it with a few passes to smooth off the pin. No markings on the scales around the pin resulted.

 

[weo]

one of the handle pins is a bit proud

How proud? This can/does happen with wood handles as they will swell and shrink throughout the year as the ambient humidity changes. So while they might be a bit proud today, if you sand them, they might be sunken a bit later.

 

[FloWolF]

Sometimes when I'm finishing up one of my knives' handles, the rivets/pins will stand a bit proud afterwards, especially if they are stainless steel ormosaic pins that have stainless components, as the sandpaper eats the wood around them and hardly touches the pins. For this I get close to final finish, then use small flat files with smooth, light and even passes to bring the level down flush with the wood again, before giving the whole handle it's last round of finishing rubs - the finer finishing abrasives won't remove enough wood to leave the pin proud again, but they should be enough to blend in any scuffs where the file tickled the wood around the pins.

 

[Matt L.]

Sometimes when I'm finishing up one of my knives' handles, the rivets/pins will stand a bit proud afterwards, especially if they are stainless steel ormosaic pins that have stainless components, as the sandpaper eats the wood around them and hardly touches the pins. For this I get close to final finish, then use small flat files with smooth, light and even passes to bring the level down flush with the wood again, before giving the whole handle it's last round of finishing rubs - the finer finishing abrasives won't remove enough wood to leave the pin proud again, but they should be enough to blend in any scuffs where the file tickled the wood around the pins.

I'm definitely going to employ this advice in future builds as well as a knife I'm just about to complete. While the pins are a bit proud, one of the mosaic pins has a void thar appeared while approaching the finish line (when I got to 320- 400 grit). It seemed minor at first, but the next day, it was vastly unacceptable, even for a give away knife. So, my origins plan is to fill the void with CA glue and touch it up by marching through the grits of sandpaper until I reach 2500 grit. However, the idea of using files is appealing. My concern is that the files might get gummed up. I suppose I could start with sandpaper to knock down the glue then move to files to bring the metal flush with the wood. Well, I guess I answered my own question before I got around to even asking it... sounds plausible, right?