Reworking Old Knives?

[Slo cat]

How kosher is it to buy a knife with a really nice blade, but with a butchered grip, strip off the grip and redo a much nicer one?

I follow eBay damascus knives for sale a lot and see some wonderful blades with really below average handles. Sometimes you can get a deal on these. Is it OK to rework these?

Best Regards, Slo cat

[B.Finnigan]

My view is knife making is as much of an art as a science and art has few if any boundries. The only taboo is to take credit for someone else's work. There is nothing wrong with taking a car and fixing it up or anything else. If you sold the knife you would want to declare to the buyer that it is a refurbished knife and not try to pass it off as yours.
It would be a good confidence builder to start that way and get some experience fitting scales to the different tangs. Most importantly, take before and after pictures and let the rest of us see!

[Slo cat]

Thanks for your comments. After some further thought, perhaps this is not very different from buying a finished blade, as in a kit knife, then completing the knife by adding a bolster and handle. As long as I credit the source of the blade, for example, Grand Leavitt Damascus blade, I should be OK?

Best Regards, Slo cat

[Ray Rogers]

Ya, nothing wrong with it. As you say, not really any different than buying a kit blade. In either case just make sure to explain how the knife was made and everything should be kosher....