Rivet question on 84mm Salesman

FolderBeholder · **on:** September 04, 2021, 09:01:57 PM

I purchased this not long ago. The back scale had a little damage, so I pulled it off and was looking at the rivets.
It appears that one of them had been tampered with, do you agree? It is the one that holds the main blade and the can opener.
I wonder if that means either was changed out at some point?

What are your thoughts?

jazzbass · **Reply #1 on:** September 04, 2021, 10:15:54 PM

Both the main blade rivet and the back tool rivet look like they've been replaced and manually peened at some point. The back tool rivet on knives from this era typically looks manually peened on the back like this, but the grind marks on the outer liner make me think that someone ground off the original rivet head and replaced it.

FolderBeholder · **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2021, 10:53:19 PM

I see what you mean about that grind mark, I couldn't figure out what that mark was.
Thank you jazzbass!

I am going to assume that this is a genuine Salesman though since it appears to have never been taken fully apart and assembled to be one, correct?

kamakiri · **Reply #3 on:** September 05, 2021, 01:47:04 AM

Agreed on both pins ground off and re-peened.

Looks like with a framing hammer. With that texture.

I’m not asking you to pull the other scale…but I wonder what it looks like under there.

FolderBeholder · **Reply #4 on:** September 05, 2021, 03:51:48 PM

I wonder too kamakiri, but I'm not sure I want to take off the front scale.

***Oops, I should have said this is a Small Climber.

kamakiri · **Reply #5 on:** September 05, 2021, 11:38:26 PM

Is it pretty well attached? Seems like it could be a later ‘60s knife repaired perhaps c.’73/4.

I’d be interested in seeing other views of the knife and the removed back scale if you have the time. Was it just the typical curling at the toothpick end? It would be interesting to see if any parts look clearly out of place compared to the rest of the knife.

FolderBeholder · **Reply #6 on:** September 05, 2021, 11:49:58 PM

Quote from: kamakiri on September 05, 2021, 11:38:26 PM

Is it pretty well attached? Seems like it could be a later ‘60s knife repaired perhaps c.’73/4.

I’d be interested in seeing other views of the knife and the removed back scale if you have the time. Was it just the typical curling at the toothpick end? It would be interesting to see if any parts look clearly out of place compared to the rest of the knife.

It is pretty well attached, I have it slight nudge to come off...but it wasn't budging.
I'll show some more photos...hang on.

FolderBeholder · **Reply #7 on:** September 05, 2021, 11:58:31 PM

Not great photos, but hopefully you can see what you need to.

FolderBeholder · **Reply #8 on:** September 05, 2021, 11:58:55 PM

One more.

kamakiri · **Reply #9 on:** September 06, 2021, 05:08:08 AM

Thanks for the additional pics FB!

It’s an interesting mystery…

But a couple of possibilities might be:

It’s a later ‘60s/early ‘70s knife and maybe the awl and knife blade are replaced either with parts from c.’73/4 or during that time as a repair with parts in stock.

I think the other possibility is the knife is ’72+ and the corkscrew and can opener have been replaced to look older than it is. Manufactured for resale on ‘bay.

As a sanity check I peeked in the pile of “pretty sure these are fake” knives…and I have one that has somewhat similar construction issues and modern scale replacements. I got it a while back and don’t recall what seller I got it from. Now I’m wondering if mine is similarly peened! Lol.