Joseph Rodgers repair

Gerhard Gerber · **on:** June 03, 2015, 11:51:38 AM

Hi All

Need some advice, but first a brief history.

My maternal grandfather was 16 when they moved by ox wagon out of Southern Angola and settled in what is today the Eastern part of Namibia.
Not sure, but I'm guessing it was still called Deutsch-Westafrika or Deutsch-Südwestafrika back then.

They were cattle farmers, and that's how my grandfather made a living.

If I ever needed an example of how to be a good man, he is top of the list.

There was never anything to inherit, but I'm eternally grateful for 2 presents he gave me when I was still very young.
I can only chuckle if I think about it today, he must have been able to see how much 2 completely busted folders would mean to this grandson.....

The miracle of it all is I still have them, despite having moved more times than I can count....and the fact that I took them apart 25-30 years ago in order to "fix" them - I was a child that took EVERYTHING apart!

On to the knives......and yes, pictures will follow eventually....

First is an Okapi copy of a SAK (I think), dating from when they were still made in Germany.
The blades are worn out and floppy, whatever was on the scales is long gone, and the only interesting bit is it has what seems to be a glass cutter.
I gave it a WD40 bath, peened the pins to remove some slack, and put the scales back.
Good as it's going to get, pure sentimental value.

Secondly, a 2-blade Joseph Rodgers.
This knife, or the blades at least, is in better shape, but it must have fallen and the scales broke.
I took this apart completely, and all the pins are a bit worse for wear, one being badly bent.

I'm pretty sure I can get the knife back to where I want it, except for the pins. There's nowhere I can buy the real thing locally, I've considered stainless wire and brazing rods, but I've been unable to find anything
with the right diameter.

So please, any outside-the-box ideas on where I can get/make pins?

TIA

Cheers
Gerhard

ducttapetech · **Reply #1 on:** June 03, 2015, 11:57:15 AM

How about brass rod.

Nate
That's us mobile

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2015, 01:43:48 PM

I'd expect Joseph Rodgers traditional lines to have used brass or nickel silver (cupronickel) pins. Depending on the age of the knife they might be in Imperial sizes, but there's ways and means

do you know the diameter of the pins?

Gerhard Gerber · **Reply #3 on:** June 03, 2015, 03:13:12 PM

Hi

Ducttape - That's why I mentioned brazing rods, I tried but could only find them in bulk and wrong diameter.

50ft - 2 sizes, think it's a thicker one for the backspring, and 2 thinner ones for the pivots......might be the other way around.
I believe they are brass yes.

Guess I need a way to work something down to the right size, but I asked my buddy who's a very capable machinist, but he had no ideas for something that small....