Constructing: pinning scale to liner

It is important that pins holding the scale material to the liner do not protrude at all inside the knife or they might catch on the blade - make sure the rivet completely fills the countersink and grind away any surplus material flat to the liner.

• push the scale material firmly against the bolster and drill through both the scale material and the liner
• put a countersink on the inside of the liner - the opposite side to the bolster
• file one end of the pin completely flat, push it through the hole so this flat is flush with the scale material, snip off on the other side as close to the liner as possible - this will leave a small piece sticking out which will have a point on where it was cut
• supporting the pin underneath, gently file off this point then rivet over the top of the pin by hammering around the edge of the pin - don’t work this side too much or the rivet will be too big to fit in the countersink:

• turn the piece over, tap the scale material down so the pin goes into the countersink underneath, then rivet over the piece sticking out by hammering around the edge of the pin

• clean up the surface of the liner to remove any protruding pin then check the rivet is still secure
• if it is not secure try again with a new pin; this time work the liner side less, so the rivet will fit in the countersink