Ok, it's not a SAK, I know, but I used all my SAK modding skills and tools to fix a very rare knife today and wanted to share. I also posted over on AAPK, but I think that forum is a bit slower, and all my friends are here anyway!
I recently got this fantastically rare Böker 182 with a broken off awl from a fellow forum member here on MTo. There are a few things that make this knife rare. Most noticeably, the red fiber scales, but this one has some other features that are scarce, especially being a 1930's-40's specimen. Stainless steel implements (most were carbon steel) for one, and wavy aluminum liners for another. I've never seen another Böker 182 like it.
So the broken off awl was a bummer. Had it been carbon steel an otherwise-trashed donor knife would have been very easily sourced for around $25. But pre-war stainless 182's are scarce, so I had to pay through the nose for a stag-scaled donor. Normally of course, it would be a crime to sacrifice such a beautiful stag knife for parts, but this one was missing its bail, the main blade was about 15 mm short, and the cap lifter was broken off at the shank. Its awl, however, was perfect. And stainless!
I was going to send it to a real knife smith for professional repair, but his turnaround time is 3 months and the operation just didn't look that tricky to me. I've built a couple SAKs, but I'm far from an expert. Still, I decided to save the time and money and give it a try myself.
Anyway, the project turned out great, so I thought I'd share with all of you. Here is the knife as it came to me:
And here is the donor knife:
Removal of the two awls is accomplished with a pin drift. Note the difference in the little leveling knob on the bottom of the two awls. This ended up making a difference and had to be corrected later on.
Test fitting revealed some tolerance differences, so I cleaned up the holes on my drill press. Very, very carefully on the knife body, and then on the awl and the corkscrew individually.
New test fitting shows everything fitting, so brass pin is inserted, chasing the place holder pin drift out.
New pin is nipped off and peened down flush, and everything works great!
But the awl sticks up proud of the profile of the knife, because the height of its leveling foot is taller than on the awl it replaced. A few strokes with a file and all is sorted.
Finished! Everything works great, snap for all 6 implements is greatly improved and the knife is ready for use.
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