Restoring Father's 96OT

Joined
Aug 21, 2013
Messages
5
Hello everyone,

I am new to the forums so please be patient if I ask silly questions.

My father's home burned down back in February. Luckily the insurance came through and my parents now have a brand new home. However, while salvaging what we could in the ashes, I found my dad's 96OT. I bought him this knife with my first paycheck when I started working at age 16 and was his favorite knife up until the fire. I am now 34 and although I'm sure the heat could have affected the material, I'd like to do my best to make it useable for him once again. He doesn't know that I found it, so I'd like to surprise him with it. My question is, can the scales on this knife be replaced? Any information you guys can point me in the direction of would be much appreciated. Anything from a place to buy them (no luck on google) to a how-to would help. I'm completely willing to hand carve the scales myself but I wouldn't know how to go about putting it on with the pins still in place. I am attaching two photos that can hopefully paint a better picture of what I'm working with here.

Thank you all for any help you can provide!




~Joe
 
The blades look to be in good shape, but the handles are obviously a total loss. I'd pay a custom maker or tinkerer to replace the handles with some nice jigged bone. Then sharpen up the blades, and should be good to go.
The trick with those Old Timer knives is that many of them have a rather unique assembly method called a "Swinden key." Not everyone will know how to safely take them apart and re-assemble, but it can be done.
 
Joe, I can fix that for you. I'm a bit concerned with what the heat may have done to the temper of those springs and blades, but there's only one way to find out. Drop me a line: ealbers@hvc.rr.com


Eric
 
If you want to make it look original - you could buy a donor knife on ebay and scavenge the scales - you might be able to find one with a buggered up blade for cheap - since you don't need the blades.
 
The 96OT is elusive... the big 4 1/8" trapper with field pick and tweezers.

96OT.JPG


You could do something fun with it too...
 
Hal, Herman's getting good with that jigging, isn't he?

Eric
 
wow that looks really nice!

Thanks to all you guys for your suggestions! i'm getting it fixed and i know my father is going to love it.

Distelfink, I looked at Dale's site and contacted him. It looks like he may start taking new orders soon.

I look forward to spending some time in these forums and getting to know you guys
 
Eric. Yes, it is a Herman Williams rework. I think he grooved the bolsters too. With Herman, blade replacement is fair game too, so you never know what parts are original.
 
Keep in mind when rebuilding Schrade knives, that some excellent as-new parts (springs, bolsters etc.) can be had pretty cheap on the Sears SFOs. I have found them to be generally far cheaper and in better condition than many of the Schrade branded knives of the same patterns.
 
C'mon Michael, that's a SCHRADE! It's built Schrade tough! Put a set of new duds on that baby and it'll be good to go. ;) :D
 
C'mon Michael, that's a SCHRADE! It's built Schrade tough! Put a set of new duds on that baby and it'll be good to go. ;) :D
:thumbup: There was some mention by the op of fire damage, and replies about concern for weakened temper. I do have a zip-loc full of damaged 897UH that was salvaged from the factory. Almost all of them had one or more blades used as a prybar or screwdriver. Should my supply of NIB 897UH ever run out, I do have parts kits to build some more. If... I had the tools and skill.

2uj6mop.jpg
 
Just joshing with ya:) That's quite a parts kit! The new construction makes it easy to take them apart, all you need to do is cut the center pin and remove it, at which time the knife basically twists apart. The hard part is the fact that the blades are attached to the liners with pre-headed pins. To remove them you need to grind the head off the pin, at which point the swinden keyhole is rendered useless. You'd now need to drill new pin holes through the bolsters and re-assemble the knife as you would a traditionally built knife. Quite a bit of work! (But it's fun!).

I think the OP's knife still retains it's temper, you need about 770 degrees to anneal 1095 blades down to spring temper (substantially higher yet for stainless), which is quite a bit of heat to be sure. If that had happened the blades would be pretty nearly black.

Eric
 
not meaning to be a picky person but the correct term would have been draw instead of anneal. annealing is not a tempering cycle but a full heat treat cycle which yielded the lowest hardness. well i guess in this instance it is close but annealing is heating in a furnace and letting it cool without opening the doors. the blade would have been air cooled for sure but at a slower rate due to the heat retention of the house. lol, that being said you are probably correct in saying the temper of the blade has not been changed.
I think the OP's knife still retains it's temper, you need about 770 degrees to anneal 1095 blades down to spring temper (substantially higher yet for stainless), which is quite a bit of heat to be sure. If that had happened the blades would be pretty nearly black.

Eric
 
Hi guys, I know this thread is old now, but I thought I'd hop in to show the great work that Eric did on my dad's old timer. The old man loves it. He is quick to whip that sucker out for anyone who so much as looks like they may struggle to open a pack of peanuts. lol

Eric, thank you for putting a big smile on my old man's face!
 
Beautiful knife!!!
 
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