I just noticed that the pommel on my MSA knife cracked. Anybody here got a clue as to where I might find one. I thought about taking it off and using some epoxy or something and clamping it for a month or so. Any Ideas? This knife gets used some and I don't like that crack. Thanks for looking.
Peace and Merry Christmas,
Gordon

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better have that checked

Was there originally a compass in that handle?


Frankly, I think you'll need a custom knifemaker if one will take time out from making his own knives.


Not sure, but think that Marble's is out of business.


Where do you store your knives? Dry areas may cause stag to crack. Ivory is worse. An occasional small drop of baby oil is said to avoid cracks.


If you have low humidity, that baby oil is probably a good idea.


How old is that knife? Can you post side views of it?

Your idea of taking it off and super duty epoxy and clamp for a few days, would probably work best. That or find a custom knife maker willing to repair or replace.

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Shouldn't be to hard to make a new one out of a deer antler. The
biggest job will be getting that spanner nut loose. I have tried
similar repairs with clear epoxy, on old Stag. Didn't work out. I
think it shrinks with age. Clamping it didn't work out. I ended up
Rasping a pile of "dust" from a scrap rack. Mixed it in the clear
epoxy and used it to "fill" the split, not bond it together. The
Knife books are still selling under the Marbel name, although
knives are made in China. They still have the models with Crown
Stag pommel, they may sell you a pommel.

The artful bodger would probably superglue the crack. Back off the pommel nut (a driver for Triumph clutch spring retainers may fit, or could be easily modified. Or, put a screwdriver to the grinder or dremel). Put some bicycle inner tube over the pommel to protect it and use a hose clamp to tighten it down.

In some neighborhoods you might just forget about the glue and leave the hose clamp in place.

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Not in jail.

A little advise from someone who has ruined hundreds of antique knives. DMR50 is entirely correct in his post. Having tried it many times myself, the epoxy will eventually give up and then the crack will still be there but will be filled with ugly glue. Squeezing 100 year old bone or horn usually results in a new crack somewhere else. He also has an excellent idea. Take the old one off and safely store it, then make a new one. If it were mine I would experiment with some color fillers and simply fill the crack with a similar colored compound. I now live by the doctors code, "First do no harm".

No there was never a compass in the top opening. This knife belonged to my Grand father or great grand father, not sure which. It is really old though. If you turn the pommel, the nut comes right off so I don't think it would be hard to change if I can find one. I may just fill the crack with something. Here's the knife. Thanks to everyone who responded.
Peace,
Gordon

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better have that checked

Take an ald antler, grind or sand a pile of dust from it. Squirt thin super glue in the crack and press in dust. sand a bit with 220 grit, repeat until filled and then sand to 600 grit or so and buff a bit with some old denim. With the piece off squirt some inside the hole and let it soak in and dry, keep repeating until it won't soak any more up. If hole is round clean with drill bit, If not take a old small needle file and use a dremel to make a small hook in the end so it fits inside and can drag out the excess and clean up the hole. With a little work it will end up looking like a natural feature. Where the texture is you can use small sharp tools to do a bit of texture and dye with dark shoe or leather dye.

Antler is porous inside and it will suck up a lot of glue and stabilize it way better than raw. I do it from both ends and inside the center hole when I make antler, Oosik and bone handled knives. They suck up a lot of super glue and even get warm to the touch when doing this. To put a small rectangular hole through handle material I use a tool with several teeth ground into it, like a small saw with only a few teeth. Then drill a hole through and then use the tool to clean and drag it through enough to shape it to fit the tang.

That knife has earned "Family heirloom" status IMHO.........

I'd retire it ... build a shadow-box ( with notes on it's history) ....... and display it, and the sheath, with "crack in the back"........ in my home office or den!!!!