Retrofit Mosaic Pins

Is it possible to put a mosaic pin in an existing knife handle? How would one go about doing that? A carefully aligned jig?

stuplarosa said:

Is it possible to put a mosaic pin in an existing knife handle? How would one go about doing that? A carefully aligned jig?

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Assuming that you're talking about a western handle with rivets? If so, it's maybe possible, but not very easy.

You need to remove the rivet and not hose the scale (wood) in the process. In my experience the head of these rivets will spin when one side is drilled and when this happens the wood gets hosed.

Assuming that you get the rivet out and still have serviceable wood you'll then have to drill out the metal tang hole to allow for the rivet to pass through and pray that you stay aligned and the hole comes out in proper alignment on the opposite side. The hole will have to be sized larger than the rivet head diameter and also (just) undersized of the mosaic pin diameter - this will be a pretty big hole getting drilled.

If you're only replacing one rivet, and leaving the other two in place, here's a possible solution....

Since I doubt that you'll be able to drill through the tang, maintain alignment to both sides, and not hose the wood in the process I would suggest drilling each side's scales separately and to NOT drill the tang. Then cut the pin into two little pins and install them on each side. Yeah this is for looks only, it offers no support like a through pin would, but it solves the problem of alignment.

That's what I was afraid of. The purely cosmetic approach seems interesting though. I'll need to decide if I believe it's worth the risk!

Thanks!

Drilling through the tang is a b****. Needs a sharp bit and lubricant, preferably lots of lubricant, to be successfull. I would not try it without cooling fluid pump if it is a handle I like. A structurally contributing pin can be made by making the pin with an outer ring and an inner part. Glue the inner part into the outer ring. Stick inner part through tang with outer part fit to it at one side. Then put the ring on from the other side. That way you only have to drill the wood wide and not the tang. Makes quite some glue mess but filing on the pins is in order anyway so you might as well sand some glue off as well.