The loose hilt on the A&P dagger was driving me nuts. I also worried about the crack spreading. I decided to find or make a ferule for the pommel where it was clear one had been at one time. I tried all of my empty brass rifle cases but none of them were quite large enough. I dug through my garage full of junk and 40 years of collecting odds and ends. I was just about to give up when I found a bag of brass grommets used for tents and awnings. Sure enough, it was just the right inside diameter. Using a Dremel cut-off wheel I sliced off a piece the height I needed. I whipped up some epoxy and coated the inside of the tube and drove it on using a small tack hammer and piece of wooden doweling. It enhances the look of the hilt as well as strengthening it. Now when I pick it up the hilt does not want to spin around, which was extremely irritating, and it feels like a real fighting knife. I am sure the original ferule fell off when the hilt shrank.
Shrinkage is always a problem with wooden grips and depending on the type of wood and the climate it can be quite severe. Almost all of my Commando knives with wooden handles exhibit cracks near either, or both, ends. Today's knifemakers have the luxury of using stabilized woods, which help prevent, but does not always eliminate this problem. I have some very expensive fighting knives that have hilts made from Stabilized burl woods which have still suffered some shrinkage and resultant cracking.
Shrinkage is always a problem with wooden grips and depending on the type of wood and the climate it can be quite severe. Almost all of my Commando knives with wooden handles exhibit cracks near either, or both, ends. Today's knifemakers have the luxury of using stabilized woods, which help prevent, but does not always eliminate this problem. I have some very expensive fighting knives that have hilts made from Stabilized burl woods which have still suffered some shrinkage and resultant cracking.
 I am also building up a finish of Danish oil to help nourish the dried-out wood. The grip shown above almost looks as if it was used (or abused) in a wet climate, giving it the look of some of my wife's antique kitchen knives. I think three or four coats of the oil will sink in and produce a nice finish and help preserve the wood. Originally, I was hoping to remove the screw and hilt to inspect the tang construction. That was not to be, as the screw refused to budge even with a wrench applied to the screwdriver shank. I don't know it the screw was loctited by someone, or just way over-tightened, but I did not want to snap the head off. |  |
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