How do I tighten up a stacked leather washer handle?

[oremike]

I have a WWII era Roberson Navy MK 1 knife I'd like to give my Nephew who is in the Navy now. The stacked leather is a little loose and I was wondering if the Boiled Linseed oil that I've used on gun stocks would work to tighten up the grip. Or what else might do the trick?

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[ditchtiger]

A heavy soaking in saddle soap?

 

[Dozer99]

Same but I've used mink oil.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have an old Seal Pup with the stacked Leather, it dries up and gets loose from time to time, Soak it in Saddle dressing oil on the stove and it will tighten it right up! For really dry or really old knifes, you might need to wrap a few wraps of heavy braided fishing line between the layers, then soak in oil!

 

[mpmax]

I've soaked Air Force survival knives in mineral oil (in the the summer), soaked it upside down in a mason jar, tightened up nicely.

 

[oremike]

I ended up using Linseed oil.

 

[MikeInOr]

I ended up using Linseed oil.

How well did it work?

 

[oremike]

How well did it work?

Worked great, I soaked the handle over night then wiped off the excess and let it dry for a couple days then buffed it to a dull shine. Looked factory and no rattles.

 

[coop44]

Neatsfoot oil, boiled linseed oil, mineral oil, even motor oil. Almost any oil that won't rot the leather should do the trick.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Axe heads use antifreeze, probably wind up being too sticky for stacked leather, don't know.

 

[Bill Siegle]

If it's really loose, you can insert shims in between the washers to tighten it up. Thin G10 can be used to do this too if you want to add a bit of color. I'd use a small amount of epoxy to make the repair permanent and finish the handle out when it's cured. Of course this doesn't apply to historically valuable pieces but it can add generations of use back into a salvageable knife.

 

[dangerranger60]

I had one that was very loose. I filled the gap with sewing thread and then soaked in boiled linseed oil. it's held up for another 30 years! DR