....coat generously with bread crumbs....

[button_man]

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viewtopic.php?t=8209&hilit=Oven

Bill, in this old thread you said "If you have a "C" clamp, clamp the handles in the proper position (slightly bowed in) near the sear area, and put the knife in the oven at 200 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Let it cool to normal temperature in the oven. Don't go over 200 degrees!"

This was to correct warped scales that were pulling apart liners, preventing the sear from engaging with the blade.

I also have a knife with warped scales, and need a little more info before I turn on the oven!

1. Do I pre-heat the oven before putting in the knife,
or put it in first and then bring up the heat?

2. I assume the limit of 200°F is to prevent affecting the temper of the blade - - - is the time limit likewise critical?
If I leave in the knife for an hour to be extra sure of softening the horn, will it damage the knife?

3. Would stag require a different time length than buffalo or cow horn?

4. One guy said that C-clamps caused flat spots on the scales. Could I wrap the handle with cheesecloth
(to prevent scratches) and use hose clamps instead?

5. I'm concerned that if I tighten the clamps too much before softening the scales, they might crack.

But once the 30 minutes is up, I would need to tighten the scales immediately, before they harden up again..... but this means pulling out the knife right away, without giving it time to anneal, so to speak. (Of course it would only take a minute to tighten a couple clamps; then the knife could quickly be returned to the oven, to cool down slowly. Would that be okay?)

Thanks in advance for the clarification!
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[Bill DeShivs]

1. No preheat. Put the knife in and turn it on.
2. 200 degrees is to keep from burning the horn. I suggest a couple of tries at short times, rather than one long heat soak.
3. I have never tried stag. I think it would require boiling.
4. You could. I use leather to pad mine.
5. Horn is pretty flexible. You would have to flex it quite a bit to crack it.

Should you need to do this, use heavy gloves. You don't need to return it to the oven to cool.
Be careful of putting pressure on thin spots when heating. Stilettos are thin in front of the button. Try to spread the pressure out as evenly as you can.

Good luck. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you screw up the knife.